A Chance Encounter
by ruckusrebel181
Summary: Viviana is an American witch that has a mysterious and dangerous past. She moves to England where she meets a few different types of men. Relationships are formed, broken and reformed, Dumbledore always said that there wasn't enough love in the world.
1. A Chance Encounter

I don't own anything besides my original characters and ideas. All of the other credit goes to J.K. Rowling for her fantastic ideas and amazing stories.

A Chance Encounter-1

The hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley seemed much more boisterous than the normal traffic that took place there. It was to be expected due to the holidays coming up, most of the people were finishing some last minute shopping or trying to send things out through the post. The Equinox Café was no exception, families and small groups were crowded in the small area and the two waitresses working seemed unfrazzled by the commotion of the restaurant. Charlie Weasley was home from work and had a few things he needed to pick up, and he decided a quick bite to eat was in order to help him get the strength he needed to complete his much-despised shopping list. As he headed into the café he looked for an open seat in the crowed bar, he found the last open seat situated next to the wall. As he went to sit down he managed to bump into a small woman sitting in the set next to his nearly knocking her off her own seat.

"Ouch, will you watch where you're going you overgrown oaf!" shouted the petite woman now sprawling on the floor. "If you really needed a seat I would have scooted over, I don't bite."

Charlie hurried to help the woman up, blushing scarlet from the neck up. He thought for a second that she looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he might have met her. She was a good foot shorter than he was, strait short onyx colored hair, almond shaped violet eyes, and a quirky smile. He thought he might have known here from Hogwarts but he knew that he would have remembered her eyes at the very least, her accent told him a different story; she was an American for sure.

"I'm so sorry, I must have been closer to your seat than I thought I was. Are you okay? Do you need me to get some help? Is anything broken?" he asked gently.

"It's okay, I probably shouldn't have shouted so loudly, it was more startling than anything. It's not everyday I fall off my seat by someone else's hands; I'm incredibly clumsy. My name is Viviana Valentine, I just moved here and I needed something to eat besides an MRE." She said with a quick smile.

"An MRE? Oh I'm Charlie Weasley by the way, it's a pleasure to meet you." He was a little taken aback by how friendly she was being, considering how rude she must have thought he was.

She smiled at him and grabbed something out of a large leather satchel. It looked like an oddly shaped tan plastic bag.

"MRE is military slang for, 'meals ready to eat', the only thing it should stand for is, 'meals rejected by Ethiopians', unless you manage to get your hand on the spaghetti, that's the best one out of the entire selection. I've been eating them because I didn't have a place to live when I traveled from America and they don't require a whole lot to make them warm and semi-edible. Two weeks of eating them and I decided I could splurge and actually eat something that resembles real food." She said smiling.

She looked back up at him, and paused. She seemed to be thinking very hard about something and once again dove into her bag for a piece of parchment. When she took it out it had something with the official Gringotts seal on it, along with a ton of writing and a picture of his brother Bill.

"You wouldn't be related to a William Weasley would you? He's going to be showing me around at my new job here in London. I must admit I am nervous working over here, everything's already so different and it's quite a challenge even finding anything or understanding anything most of the people are trying to say to me."

She spoke in a very clipped, fast mannerism while gesturing with her hands as she spoke. Charlie could only smile at her, wondering why she would be working with her brother and the odds that he would run into her in the first place.

"Yes, he is my older brother, it's a little strange that we met here, before you met him. I'm actually going over to Gringotts after I have lunch if you'd like me to walk you over there, as consolation for me knocking you from your seat." He replied, hoping that she would take him up on his offer.

"Would you really? I'd appreciate that very much, I am sorry that I called you an oaf. That wasn't very polite of me, and I hope I didn't offend you," she quickly added, thinking to herself this was an odd occurrence running into the brother of the man that she'd be closely working with.

He laughed heartily and he cheekily replied, "I'd be my pleasure to escort a lovely young woman to her next destination. What will you be doing at Gringotts? Are you going to be a curse breaker as well?"

"That's what I'm hoping to do, before I moved here I traveled around the world and worked as a master code breaker, and eventually it lead me to spell development and curse breaking. Gringotts offered me something I can't refuse so here I am, in the good country of England. What exactly do you do?" She had noticed a few of his burn scars primarily on his hands and a few scattered on his wrist, and it had piqued her curiosity as to how he got them. He didn't seem like a man that would jump into a bar fight, or cause a ruckus, she didn't feel anything negative coming off of him either.

It bothered him a little that she ignored his not so subtle flirting, but not enough to deter him from being interested in what she was going to be doing in London. "Well before I moved back to Britain, I was working in Romania on a Reserve as a dragon keeper. I received a better offer at a new Reserve that opened up in the countryside, and it's also an offer I can't refuse."

"Well I suppose this means that we'll be seeing each other more often, I assume that working with your brother so closely our paths will keep crossing. Lord and lady is it really a quarter until three? I'm sorry to rush you Charlie but I'm supposed to meet William at three! Can we hurry there now?" She was throwing everything into her satchel, bits of parchment, a few quills and two small books flew into her bag. She stood quickly and threw on her cloak and smiled at Charlie.

"Well are you ready or not?" she asked as she stood up.

"Sure, you have nothing to worry about, I'm sure Bill will go easy on you, it being your first day and all. I, uh, I hope you're ready, goblins are no breed to dilly dally with." He smiled gently and ushered her out into the busy street and lead her up to steps of Gringotts where the eternal words were inscribed:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed _

_For those who take, but do not earn, _

_Must pay most dearly in their turn. _

_So if you seek beneath our floors _

_A treasure that was never yours, _

_Thief, you have been warned, beware _

_Of finding more than treasure there._

"Well if that doesn't give you the chills, nothing will. Thank you for all of your help, I really appreciate it." She said as she followed Charlie into Gringotts, and took in the awe that represented the historic bank. She saw huge scales that had diamonds piled up, they looked as large as chicken eggs, mounds of gold and platinum. If she hadn't worked for the largest wizarding bank in Italy she would have been completely gob struck. As she walked past each desk holding treasures more beautiful than the one before she came to an office, a plaque labeled "**William Weasley- Curse Breaker**"

"Oi, Bill you in there? I have something for you!" Charlie said as he opened the door to his brothers' office. He saw Bill transfixed with a muggle puzzle, a rubix cube, he turned its sides over and over.

"Oh and what kindly gift does my little brother bring me?" Bill said grinning. "I'm trying to solve this damned puzzle. I picked it up when I was in Egypt from a colleague of mine; I think she gave it to me knowing that I wouldn't be able to solve it without magic. Damning little thing. Sorry brother, what did you have for me?"

"It's fine Bill, I think you will eventually figure it out, I met a woman today in the Equinox Café and she seemed to know you." Charlie smiled at the smirk that graced his brothers' face.

"A woman? Really, that's unfortunate you know I'm already taken, so unless you plan on dating her yourself I doubt Fleur would find it terribly amusing." Bill looked a bit unhappy hearing the news.

"Honestly Bill, how many women have you met across your travels? I meant the young woman that's going to be working with you, not some daft bird you picked up in a bar." He smiled at his older brother who flushed pink and grinned crookedly.

"Clearly enough that I thought that's who you meant. An intern? Hmmm you must mean the one from America. Valentine right? Well where is she I wouldn't want her to think I was a right bastard speaking the way I was about women."

"No, you just don't want Fleur to hear about your worldly exploits. She'd have you begging for forgiveness and you'd be sleeping on the couch for the next few weeks." Charlie said while smiling at his older brother. He knew Fleur was a nice enough girl, but he also knew her temper was just below the surface of her smiling face.

"Right you are Charlie, right you are. Okay so where is this bird, I'm excited to exploit, I mean explore the ample opportunities that she's supposed to bring to us." Bill yawned and grabbed a bit of parchment that described Viviana's qualifications. He was reading them as Charlie ushered her into the room. "So, you've studied near and far across the globe. You worked equally in Rome, and Chicago a city in America. Top marks in your O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s. Prestige from your trainers in Chicago, my main question though is why did you decide to come here? You had other offers that offered more both in pay and prestige."

Viviana stepped into the room taking in the sight of Bill's slightly eclectic office. She looked at the rubix cube that he had been previously working on with a slight smile on her face. "I remember solving those, there's a very simple equation to solve a cube regardless of how jumbled up it may be. I'd be happy to show it to you, unless you would rather solve it first and I divulge it later. I decided to take this job because I had heard that there were ample things for me to learn here. Different mannerisms that will hopefully teach me things that I have yet to learn anywhere else."

"Alright, well it's Friday and we don't do much over the weekend, but my family is having a large dinner tonight and I thought perhaps you'd want to join us, it's a way to welcome you to England, unless of course you're engaged otherwise." Bill said looking pointedly between Charlie and Viviana. "Oh and you're welcome to call me Bill, no one besides my mum calls me William."

"Okay Bill, I can't say I have any plans, looking for a small flat but otherwise I'm completely free all weekend. I was hoping to dive into work right away, just to pick up on the cadence of how everything's done, but if there isn't any work, I suppose this would be a nice way to meet a few people other than the few I've already met." She said, she noticed that Bill was still slightly staring at her, and glancing at Charlie. "Is there something I missed, you're staring quite hard at Charlie and I."

"No, I'm sure it will be a interesting story of how you two met, a fair warning, my Mum will probably grill the two of you as to how you've both met," Bill quickly added.

"Great, I'm really looking forward to hearing, 'Charlie, Mrs. So-and-so has a daughter about your age and I'm sure you'd get along quite well, are you free later this week', seriously Bill I love her and all but I am sick of her bothering me about some stupid date she wants to set me up on," Charlie scowled lightly, and looked over at Viviana, "Bill is right you know, she'll probably grill us both, I'm apologizing ahead of time for the comments she'll probably make towards you involving me."

"It's quite alright, it can't be worse than my parents who think I'm rebelling by actually working, and not being the proper trophy wife organizing some ridiculous dinner party with my inept husband." Viviana laughed and then looked over at Bill, "well what time should I be ready by? I'd like to toss my stuff at the hotel I'm staying at and get a quick shower in. Oh and what should I wear? Should I bring anything with me? Are you sure that your parents won't mind me tagging along?"

"Merlin's beard woman, breathe! Honestly, the family will be happy to meet you, dress casually, if you want to bring something you're more than welcome to, and where are you staying?" Bill responded with a chuckle, he was more amused that she was so worked up over meeting his family.

"Oh sorry, I tend to talk a mile a minute. I'm a total chatterbox when I'm nervous. I'm actually staying in muggle London at the Luxom hotel. My previous boss set me up there before I arrived," she said.

"Bill don't you have to pick up Fleur tonight? I don't mind picking up Viviana then heading to the Burrow," Charlie added, "and it would help me get out of the house before Mum can really grill me about what I've been doing at the Reserve."

"Perfect, that works out well, Fleur is staying a few nights with us anyways, she wants to get to know the family. I'm assuming she probably packed a ton of stuff she really doesn't need, and I'll be forced to carry most of it. Ah the things we do for love." Bill said.

"You must really be crazy about this one, if you're willing to cart around all of her belongings. So Viviana, how about I meet you at 7 o'clock, and we'll apparate to the Burrow together," Charlie said.

"Okay I'm staying in room 1248, just knock and I'll see you then. I have a few things I have to do before I head back to the hotel. I'll see you all later okay? Thanks again for helping me find this place Charlie, and Bill I'll see you tonight." Viviana grabbed her backpack and walked out of the room.

"So, what do you think of her?" Bill asked Charlie.

"She seems pretty intelligent, really excited about the job. I dunno, why do you ask?" said Charlie.

"Well for one, she seemed nervous around you! Plus she's rather dishy wouldn't you agree? I almost feel a bit put off, being taken and all, but all points aside you're the one that offered to pick her up. Are you hoping to show up with her just so Mum doesn't pester you into finding a nice woman to settle down with?" Bill teased his brother.

"She wasn't nervous around me, I'm sure she hasn't gotten her bearings yet. And you better hope your girl doesn't hear you talk about another woman like that, I swear Bill can't you keep it in your pants?" Charlie said laughing at the idea of Fleur swearing at his brother in French while running around smacking him upside the head with a book.

"All I'm saying is that she's intelligent, great looking, minus being rather tiny, and well you're avoiding the issue that Mum will hound you less if it appears that you are interested in Viviana." Bill said adding, "Honestly Charlie, do you find her attractive?"

Charlie stood in the doorway looking out the window trying to think of something to push his brother ridiculous thoughts away. He had just met her, how was he supposed to know if he fancied her or not. He finally said to Bill, "Alright yes, she's good looking, but I think if I hugged her she'd break into pieces. And yes it would be nice if Mum just had the idea that I was interested in her just so she got off my case about being single. You think she would back off especially because she knew what Kate did to me not six months ago. No matter what I tell her, she keeps pestering me."

Bill sighed and thought about his brothers' ex-girlfriend Kate Warrington. She worked on the Reserve with Charlie and they had dated off and on for a couple years. She was smart, pretty and a conceited bitch. She came from a lot of money, and only worked as a healer because it pissed her parents off. She had cheated on Charlie with one of their co-workers and Charlie broke off their engagement around Christmas time last year. "Charlie, I know that Kate was a self-righteous bitch, but maybe if you played the field a little bit you might have a spot of fun. I'm not saying that you have to find your soul mate, but honestly just because you found one girl that broke your heart doesn't mean that every girl you meet is going to do the same. And for the record I never liked Kate anyways. I also think that you and Viviana would get along, I'll have you know she's a lot stronger than she looks, I heard from a friend of mine in America that she used to be a beater on her schools quidditch team."

"That's besides the point Bill, if something happens then it'll happen. Until then I'll just keep being friendly but I don't want to just into anything yet," Charlie's ears were tinged red as he thought of his ex, he wasn't hurt over her actions any longer, but it was still a sore topic to bring up, "well I still have to get ready, and pick up Viviana. I'll see you and Fleur later okay?"

"Alright, I didn't mean to upset you, just looking out for you," Bill stood and placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder, "I can always send a curse to Kate, it'd be fun."

Charlie laughed and said, "No that's quite alright. Last I heard she was booted from the Reserve anyways, seems like she cheated her way onto the staff."

With that Charlie left Gringott's and apparated to the Burrow knowing that his mother would probably be waiting for him with a long speech about how he should get out more, especially because he was home on break from work. He shrugged and walked up to the house, smiling as he thought, 'It feels good to be home.'


	2. Under the Full Moon

So I was able to write another chapter today, I appreciate everyone that's been reading my story so far. I'd love it if a few of you reviewed. I need to know how I'm doing so far and what you think. I'm working a ton the next few days but I will try and update. I'm really stuck on this story and I have a lot of ideas. So keep on reading, and please review =)

Under the Full Moon- 2

As soon as Viviana left Gringotts she wondered what she was getting herself into. Going over to the home of her current boss seemed a bit tactless, she hardly knew him and didn't want his first impression of her to be that of a social climber. She knew that she was a hard worker, and she hoped that eventually Bill would be able to see that. She quickly apparited into her hotel suite and looked around, there was a lot of clutter on the floor, bits of parchment and a few books. It was a modest room, with a kitchenette, a small office area and a reasonably sized bathroom. The colors weren't spectacular, but it was comfortable and clean. She tossed her gear into an unused armchair and cast a quick cleaning spell across the room. She watched her odds and ends seamlessly slide back into place, her bed was re-made and everything went back into small-organized piles on the desk. Looking into her closet she tried figuring out what she was going to wear that evening, she didn't want to look like she was trying too hard, but she didn't want to look like a slob either. She pulled out a sleeveless black dress that had a v-neck in the front and a low v-cut in the back. It would hit her right above the knees and she could wear it with her crimson dragon hide boots. She frowned, as she thought aloud, '_This is first date material, not 'hi I'm working with your son' material. It's not like I'm here to impress anyone or anything.'_ As she looked through the rest of her clothes, she realized that most of her clothing was in the muggle fashion. Most of it had been skirts, dresses, and jeans. Would jeans and a t-shirt be a better idea? Her subconscious thought brightly, _'Are you sure you're not trying to catch a certain mans eye with that dress? Surely you have something more appropriate than a slinky, black dress.'_ 'Oh shut it! I don't need to argue with myself more than I normally would. I'm wearing the black dress and that's final.' She shouted to herself, realizing how silly it would have been to overhear herself yelling at herself. I must be nuts, I must be nuts. She looked over at the clock and saw that she only had an hour to get ready, '_damnit I thought that I had more time to get ready. I don't want to be seen as that girl that takes forever.'_ She rushed into the shower and quickly started it up. Throughout school she remembered how much she loved taking long, hot showers after a stressful day. Something about the water, and the way it soothed her aching muscles. She turned the shower off and hopped out peering into the mirror as she dried her hair off. One of her most striking features was her eyes'. They were naturally the color of iris' and she loved that they were so unique. She twisted her hair into a French knot, and lightly applied black eye liner and mascara. She brushed her teeth, added a light mist of her favorite perfume and slid on her favorite boots. They were the color of fresh blood, a deep crimson color, and quite durable. They came up slightly past her knees, and had a modest three-inch heel; one of her friends called them her 'ass kicking' boots, to which she responded, 'anything to make me taller'. She was impressively short, hovering around 5'1'' she stopped growing when she was about 14, something she wasn't incredibly happy with, but that's life for you. She had just slipped on her dress when she heard a gentle knocking on the door.

"Charlie?" She asked.

"Yes, I know I'm a bit early, but I had to get out of the house," Charlie said.

"Oh okay, well the doors open, just walk on in. I'm sorry I'm a bit behind schedule I was cleaning up the place and before I realized it, it was time to get ready." Viviana looked over at him and smiled, the way he was staring at her made them both blush.

"You look beautiful," Charlie said. He eyed the ensemble that she was wearing taking in the virtually backless dress, and the boots that went along with the outfit. He noticed that it was zipped up in the back, and was going to ask her if she needed help but refrained from making a fool of himself. _'Idiot if she needed help she'd probably ask for it, she doesn't need you staring at her assets all night either.'_

"Was your mother giving you a hard time already?" Viviana asked, and as soon as she said it, she wished she could have sucked it right back in. _'Great now he thinks that I think that his mother is a nag'_ "I'm sorry I didn't mean to say it like that, I meant no offense to your Mom. Oh and thank you for the compliment. You look quite handsome yourself."

Charlie laughed gently, "Yes she was and there's no need to apologize, she loves us all very much, but she tends to be a little bit too nosy for her own good."

She stood there as she put on her jewelry, admiring his robins egg blue button down, and his dark jeans. She kept fumbling with her necklace, and finally got the clasp closed. "I'm not over dressed am I? Should I thrown on a pair of jeans or something else? I didn't know what to wear, and I don't want to give off the wrong impression."

"Slow down, you look beautiful, you don't have to change and I highly doubt that anyone would suggest that you're giving off the wrong impression." Charlie stated smiling down at her.

"Okay well at least I pass your test. Oh would you mind helping me zip up the back? I never manage to do it correctly, I suppose I could do it with my wand," She blushed gently as she looked up into his bright blue eyes.

"You don't have to worry I'd be happy to help," Charlie said as she turned around he noticed a tattoo trailing down the lower portion of her back. He could smell the delicious aroma of her perfume, a cross between a subtle citrus, amber, something spicy and something sweet. As he finished zipping up the back of her dress he said, "Interesting tattoo, what is it exactly?"

"Oh you did see that, well it's rather large actually it starts on my lower back and curves across my hip bones. It's a maze of vines with cherry blossoms and ancient runes mixed it. I was able to find a wizard that incorporated protection runes into tattoos and I got it done when I was studying in Italy. Maybe if you take me out sometime, you'll see the rest of those vines." She smirked at him and gently laughed as he blushed a deep red. "I'm sorry I probably shouldn't have said that either, my mouth has a way of running off before I can properly think and then speak."

"It's okay really, I, uh, wasn't expecting to hear that, I guess." Charlie ran his fingers through his hair before he said, "Well are you ready to meet my family?"

"You can bet your ass on it." Viviana said.

"Well do you mind sidelong apparition? Since you don't know where the house is." Charlie stated.

"Fine by me, let me grab my jacket and you can lead the way." She grabbed a jacket off of the back of a chair and slipped her hand into his. Before she knew it she felt the distinctive tug of being forced through a tube and a familiar spinning sensation. Before she knew it she was on solid ground, clutching tightly to Charlie's chest. "Sorry about that, side long always makes me feel a bit off."

"Sorry about that, I'll remember that for future reference. Are you ready?" Charlie asked.

"Is there anything I should know about your family before I meet them?" Viviana asked.

"Well my Mum will probably ask you a bunch of questions, and you'll also meet Bill's girlfriend Fleur, my brothers Fred, George, and Ron and my sister Ginny. I think a couple of Ron's friends are staying at the house too. Luckily I'm staying at Bill's while they're here; otherwise it's a bit cramped. Ginny can be a little bit shy, and the twins Fred and George are incredibly funny, my Dad is very inquisitive about the muggle world, I don't know what to say about Ron and his friends." Charlie said with a thoughtful look on his face. "Don't worry so much, you'll do fine, I'll be right next to you the entire night okay?"

"Yeah, alright. I think this will go alright, I'm just nervous meeting everyone," she said. "It's very kind of all of you to have me over, after you've just met me."

"Think nothing of it, it's really how I was raised, my parents are very open loving people, whom have never thought twice about opening up to new people. You'll get along well with everyone. I promise." Charlie said as they walked up to the house he had his arm around her waist, and he could see his sister peering through the kitchen window. He groaned internally because he knew that Ginny would most likely say something to his mother, and his mother would probably bring up the fact that he was cozying up to Bill's new intern. As he held the door open for her, he gauged her reaction to his parent's house. He knew it wasn't much but he was hoping she wouldn't judge them for it. Her reaction made him smile and feel a lot more confident.

"Oh you must be Viviana Valentine! The new curse breaker that's interning with Bill! Bill has had so many good things to say about you!" Mrs. Weasley said as she hugged Viviana. She looked over at Charlie with a small smile on her face, "Charlie you didn't tell me what a beautiful young woman she was."

Charlie blushed again, and said "Well Mum I knew she'd be coming over for dinner so I didn't want to fully embarrass her when she got here. I already told her that she looked stunning when I picked her up tonight."

"He is such a gentleman Mrs. Weasley. Your home looks so inviting and I am honored that you would ask me to join your family for dinner, thank you it's very kind of you." Viviana said. She smiled over at Charlie and scanned the room for Bill. "Where's everyone else? Charlie mentioned that his other brothers, his sister and a few friends of theirs were going to be over for supper as well."

"Oh they're all upstairs doing something or another. I didn't want them to bother you too much and frighten you off with an over load of people. We're eating outside tonight because frankly there's just not enough room for 12 people in our dining room." She looked outside before frowning a little bit, "And Bill and _Fleur_ are taking a walk, or at least that's what he said they were doing. Charlie will you bring a couple of the large tables outside and call the rest of them down here? I need some help with setting the table"

"Mrs. Weasley is there anything I can do to help?" Viviana said as she looked around the kitchen. She saw a few dishes sitting on the counters, and she could smell fresh baked rolls in the oven. "I wouldn't mind at all, especially since you went to all that trouble preparing this wonderful meal. I did bring a few bottles of oak matured mead to go along with your dinner."

"That was incredibly thoughtful of you, and you're our guest, if you feel inclined just walk outside with Charlie and help him set the tables please." Mrs. Weasley said as she started levitating a large turkey, a roast and a few side dishes out the door onto one of the tables.

Viviana walked back outside and saw that Charlie had already set the tables, and was setting the chairs up around them. She used her wand and conjured floating lanterns that gave the garden a soft glow, along with a violin and harp to play soft music. She set out beautiful goblets with mead, and a few jugs of pumpkin juice.

"Charlie, do you think your mother likes me?" She asked nervously.

"I think she does, pretty soon she'll be harping on me, asking me why I haven't asked you out already." Charlie said while he ran his fingers through his short hair. It wasn't as red as the rest of his family; instead it was more of auburn brown with a mix of blond from the sun mixed in. When he looked up he saw that his mother was eyeing them through the kitchen window.

"Well that's good to hear, the her liking me part, not that I'm here to hear her bug you about your personal life." She added.

As Viviana and Charlie worked towards putting everything into place on the dinner table Mrs. Weasley was calling everyone else downstairs to help with the rest of the preparation.

"Alright you lot, I need you all down here to help with carrying everything outside. Hurry up!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen. She heard a thunder of everyone else running down the stairs.

"Oi Mum, keep your shirt on we're here. What's the great rush anyways? I heard that Bill's intern is here. Where is she?" Asked Fred as he looked around the kitchen.

"Don't you dare take that tone of voice with me. She's already outside with Charlie setting up the table. I want you all to be on your best behavior too, she's just in from America and I want her to leave with a positive impression of a British family." Mrs. Weasley said paying particular attention to Fred and George.

"Is there anything Ginny and I can do to help Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked, as she grabbed a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Yes dear, please grab those potatoes and the rest of you grab whatever else needs to be brought out." Mrs. Weasley said to everyone.

As the group slowly walked out carrying various bowls of mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, buttered peas, a carved turkey and a delicious roast they began to discuss who their new guest was.

"I heard Mum saying that she was a new intern that will be working with Bill. Bill said that she was really talented and that we were lucky to have her on staff. Don't know why Mum's making such a big deal about it, it's not like Bill needs another girl to swoon over." George said, "Hey speaking of girls, where's Fleur?"

Ginny rolled her eyes along with Hermione, "Phlegm is off with Bill, 'taking a walk', or whatever else they'd do when Mum's not looking."

Fred and George gave them pointed smiles and simultaneously saying, "Bill's totally getting lucky with that bird!"

Harry stood in the garden taking in the beautiful backyard. He saw the lanterns that Viviana charmed and heard the music that was lightly playing. He looked forward to seeing the Weasley's every summer it made him feel like he had a real family. He wished Sirius' could have been there, but he relished every moment that he had with his friends. He saw a petite woman standing next to Charlie smiling and laughing at something he said. She was beautiful, and she looked like an older version of Cho. She had an angular face, with gentle almond shaped eyes. Her hair was pulled into a French twist and her black dress hugged her figure perfectly. He could tell that she was nervous when she looked over at everyone, and he remembered how overwhelmed he was when he met all of the Weasley's. He set down the bowl of green beans that he carried out and walked over to her and decided that he would introduce himself to her.

"Hullo, I'm Harry Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you." He said as he held his hand out to her. He saw her smile at him and extended her own hand out.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Harry Potter, word is that you're very famous. All the same it's nice to meet you, and I'm glad that you came over and said hello. I'm Viviana Valentine, I'll be working with Bill at Gringotts." She said, before adding, "Honestly I was very nervous meeting everyone here, it's not very often that I meet so many people at once."

Harry laughed, "I understand how you feel, it was like that for me when I first met everyone at once. It's definitely a new experience. Just relax, everyone is very kind here, and they're very accepting."

"Thanks for that bit of advice. I do appreciate it." Viviana said, as she looked at the other Weasley's, Hermione, and Fleur. She walked over to Charlie and said, "Oh is that Fleur? I didn't see them when they had arrived."

"Well they were off walking, or something. Personally I think they were trying for more alone time away from the prying eyes of my Mum," Charlie said smiling he knew how his Mum tended to be overbearing and very inquisitive, "I'm sure she'll talk your head off as soon as she walks over here. Give her a chance, she is very nice, but she is a bit full of herself sometimes."

"I'll do my level best, after all everyone else has really given me a chance so I can only do the same." Viviana said.

"Evening Weasley's and guests! Finally home, Merlin what a busy day. It seems like all I do is raid homes these days." Arthur said to his family and their guests. "Molly everything smells delicious."

"Arthur dear, did you see our guest? She's working with Bill at the bank." Molly said to her husband.

"Oh the American? I'm looking forward to asking her all sorts of questions regarding the way they do things there, compared to here." Arthur said, looking over at his wife and her suddenly narrowing eyes he replied, "Although I'm sure that can wait until she's over another time. Wouldn't want her to get overwhelmed, Molly dear."

"Well you get changed and come outside and get ready for dinner. Don't pester her, I mean it Arthur she's just arrived today." Molly said.

Bill and Fleur walked over towards the dinner table, smiling at each other. It was very obvious that they were very much in love. They sat across from Charlie and Viviana, and Fleur spoke first.

"So Bill tells me zat you're going to be working wiz him at Gringotts as a curse breaker?" Fleur said while eyeing Viviana's dress. "Where did you get such a lovely dress? I 'ave not seen anything so classy since arriving to England."

"I will be working with him very soon, this weekend I'm taking to find a solid place to live and settle in. Thanks, I actually found this dress in Chicago before I left." Viviana replied to Fleur.

As they continued to chat everyone else sat down and began to converse. Mrs. Weasley smiled at everyone before saying, "I'm glad that everyone's here, if you didn't notice we have a new guest here, Viviana Valentine is from America and she'll be working with Bill as a curse breaker. I'd like it if everyone was friendly and welcoming to her."

Viviana stood up and smiled, "Thank you very much Mrs. Weasley for welcoming me into your home and thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcome. I really appreciate it and I'm sure that I'll be seeing everyone more later on." She sat back down, and leaned over to Charlie and whispered into his ear, "So how am I doing?"

Charlie watched her take a large sip of her mead before he answered her, "You're doing fine, don't worry so much, everyone likes you so far, and they seem to enjoy having you here. I'm glad you're here." He added.

"Aw, thanks Charlie, I'm glad I'm here too," she said, she could feel her face flushing gently.

As the last morsels of dinner were finished, and the plates floated into the kitchen, everyone stood and stretched. Everyone was very full and fireflies were drifting across the lawn. The moon hung low in the sky and the lanterns were glowing softly. Charlie saw Viviana shiver lightly as a cool breeze swept across the lawn. He slipped his arm across her shoulders, and smiled when she glanced up at him.

"I saw you shiver, do you want me to grab your jacket?" Charlie asked gently.

"No you're nice and warm. I think that your Mom is staring at us, will that be a problem later on?" Viviana asked as she looked up into Charlie's bright blue eyes.

Before Charlie could say anything Mrs. Weasley said, "Charlie will you be taking her back to her hotel tonight? Or will she be staying the night?"

Fred and George smirked and said to each other, "Ouch, once again Mum's meddling."

"Shut it you two." Ginny said angrily. "Mum's just being curious, she's wondering exactly what everyone else has been wondering, and you're being so rude to Viviana

and Charlie."

Charlie looked over at Viviana and quickly asked her, "Uh, did you want me to take you home now, or did you want to stay here?"

Viviana smirked at him and replied, "Charlie Weasley, are you trying to get me into bed?" She watched him sputter on his glass of mead.

"What? No, I mean I just wondered if you wanted to stay here, or apparite home?" Charlie said, his ears were bright red and he wiped his mouth where the mead had dripped.

"I'm teasing you Charlie. I'm not really tired yet; do you wanna take a trip to London and wander around a bit? I want to take in the sights while I'm not too bogged down by work." Viviana said smiling at Charlie's embarrassment.

"Sure, that works. I'll let Mum know, and just tell her I'm staying at Bill's." Charlie said to Viviana. "Well Mum, I'm going to escort Viviana home and then I'll be staying at Bill's house."

Mrs. Weasley smiled at them both and nodded in approval. "Okay well thank you very much for coming over and helping with the set up of the backyard. The music and lanterns were very thoughtful. You're welcome over anytime dear."

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley I appreciate your hospitality, you're very kind. I'm sure I'll see you soon." Viviana said as she went over to Fleur and Bill. She said her goodbyes to everyone else and started walking down the path outside of the Burrow. "Well Charlie how are we doing this?"

Charlie smiled at her, and slipped his hand into hers, "Do you want to do side long apparition?"

"That works I suppose." Viviana slipped her arms around Charlie's neck and leaned in against him. "Hold me tightly will you?"

"I fail to see how that's a problem." Charlie said as he cradled her in his arms as he concentrated on her hotel room. "Are you ready?"

"Ready and waiting." Viviana said.

In a few seconds they were whisked away into the night and on to find something to do amidst the bustle of London.


	3. Prowling the Town

'Moar Ghosts n Stuff'-Deadmau5 is featured in this chapter. One of my all time favorite songs to drive to. This chapter is a little explicit, so if that offends you, you might want to skip this chapter.

Once again I don't own anything that J.K. Rowling wrote, all my characters are my own as are my ideas and plots. Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear what you think as readers, and where you think this story is going. I've gotten a fair amount of hits, but I'd Love a few more reviews.

**Chapter 3: Prowling the Town**

As Viviana arrived with Charlie in her hotel room she quickly looked around and checked the wardings that she put up before they had left for dinner. Everything seemed in tact and nothing was out of place. She still felt like there was something wrong with the room, even if she couldn't see it. She smiled up at Charlie, and smirked at his bemused expression.

"So what did you want to do now that we're free from my families clutches?" Charlie asked as he loosened his hold on Viviana. He could tell that she had done something magical because he tingled as soon as they apparited into the room. "What did you do as soon as we got here? I felt a warming and tingling sensation."

"You felt that? I was checking all of my wards that I put up before we left. Something felt off when we arrived, I can't see a problem but something feels different," She commented. "We could go to a club, or a bar if you'd like."

"Oh, why do you ward your own room? Are you in some sort of 'mortal peril' in London?" Charlie asked. He looked concerned that she would feel the need to ward her room; to the best of his knowledge she wasn't in any sort of danger. "I think I know of a few muggle, and wizarding bars if that's something you'd like to do. I'm not much of a dancer so I think a club is out of my range of comfort."

"I wouldn't call it 'mortal peril', but I have had some trouble recently. Your country has problems with Death Eaters, and Lord Voldermort; and certain places in the states have had them come over and recruit. I've been turning them down since I was in school and they don't take no for an answer. Don't worry Charlie, they haven't caught me so far and I don't think they will. I'm much too cunning and strong for them," Viviana said. Silently she was worried about the problems that she had faced in America and Italy. She was trying to make light of what the Death Eaters wanted and how persuasive their call had been. Her last encounter with them hadn't been a pleasant one, and she had the bruises to prove it. "You're not a dancer? Damn there go all of my hopes and dreams."

"Well I am sorry to disappoint, but unless I'm right pissed I won't dance and embarrass myself. Why have the Death Eaters been trying to recruit you, I'm not saying that your talents as a curse maker and breaker wouldn't be useful but why have they been hounding you?" Charlie knew he was poking around in her private life, but he couldn't help being so inquisitive.

"They haven't been trying to recruit me just for my obvious talents. I was on a national dueling team in America and was very, very good. My family was gifted with the ability of wandless magic, and I've been able to do it all of my life. They want me for my family's connections and for my skill at magic. In America my family is the second oldest and by far the most powerful. Luckily most of my family is very anti-Death Eater, the other half is trying to pick the winning side. All of my personal issues aside would you mind if I changed so we can leave and explore the city? I don't want you to worry about me, and I'm sorry if I bored you with talks of my problems." Viviana walked over to her closet and rifled through it to find a pair of jeans and a modified vest.

Charlie could tell that the discussion was over, he felt like she was closing herself off from the topic at hand, and he didn't want to push her. He decided that he would talk to Bill in the morning to see if he knew anything further about her. It bothered him a little that she was from such an influential family, now that she had met his he felt like he would never be in her social circle. _Did she feel like she was slumming it tonight? I'm sure she knows that my family, while being pure bloods, was poor and didn't have a lot of power or social standing. At the very least her family wouldn't approve of them, or their lack of aristocratic bearings. _

"I'm sorry if I brought up something that would be better discussed when we actually get to know each other. I'll wait in the lobby while you get ready," Charlie said as he walked past her towards the door.

"Charlie, did I say something wrong? You don't have to leave. I'll be done getting ready in a few minutes." Viviana said.

"You didn't say anything wrong. I just didn't want you to feel pressured by me waiting her for you to get ready." Charlie said. Silently he was thinking to himself, _stop being such a prat; she's given you no indication that she doesn't enjoy being around you. Your family might not be that well off or have the social standings as a few of the other pure blood families but that doesn't mean you don't have the money. Risking life, and limb have paid off, Bill is always commenting on the fact that I have so much money in my accounts I could retire now and never run out of gold. _He wasn't paying attention to Viviana getting dressed when he turned around he looked gob-smacked. She was wearing a very short, very sexy black leather miniskirt, a vest of blood red silk that left just enough skin showing a very tall pair of blood red stilettos. "Wow, uh, you look fantastic. I feel very scruffy standing next to you."

"Nonsense. Do you think it's a bit too scandalous?" She emphasized the point by turning around and glancing over her shoulder. The vest was backless, and had a small chain of diamonds that went from the collar of the vest to the base of her spine. She had let her hair down and it fell in straight water full of onyx silk. She had also changed her make up. Her eyes were accentuated with emerald green eyeliner, and blood red lipstick. She looked very sexy, but also very dangerous.

Charlie didn't know what to say as he looked at her outfit. Clearly she knew how to dress up for a night out, and he couldn't help staring at her assets. He gave her a charming smile walked over to her and traced along the string of diamonds. He enjoyed watching her shiver at his touch, and moan as he slid his hands against her side.

"You look like a bird of prey, beautiful and dangerous." Charlie whispered against her neck. He pulled her closely to his chest and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

Viviana nodded gently before saying, "Yes, yes oh yes. I am most certainly ready to have a memorable night out with you."

"Did you want to take a cab to a muggle bar I like to go to? Or did you want to apparite into Diagon Alley?" Charlie asked.

"Let's live like a couple muggles and visit your favorite bar." Viviana said.

Charlie slipped his arm across her lower back and walked with her outside of her room. He watched as she waved her hands in precise movements and saw the door glow with a faint violet color. As they walked down the hall to the elevator he could tell she was smiling at him. By the time they reached the elevator he had forgotten all about his worries over their families differences. When they stepped into the elevator he noticed that it was covered in mirrors. He turned so that Viviana was facing him.

"I know I've said this already, but you really do look gorgeous tonight. I'm glad that you will be accompanying me this evening." Charlie said. He watched her eyes sparkle and she leaned against him and whispered into his ear.

"Charlie a woman never gets tired of hearing that she looks wonderful. My only worry is that someone in this hotel will think I'm your rent-a-hole with the way I'm dressed." She gently nipped his ear lobe and slid her hands around his back. She loved the way he smelled, slightly spicy, warm, and like a warm summer rain.

Charlie's breath caught as she nibbled on his ear lobe and neck. "I don't think anyone would think I'm renting you for the evening. You may look incredibly sexy but not whorish." He felt her hands trace his shoulders, and he slid his hands down to gently cup her hips in his hands. She felt so tiny he could wrap his hands around her waist.

When they hit the 6th floor the elevator dinged and an elderly couple got onto the elevator. They were dressed as though they were going to the opera and they didn't appreciate the view of the two pressed so closely together.

Viviana stifled a giggle into Charlie's neck, as she whispered quietly, "See I doubt they enjoy the show, and I'm sure they do think you paid for my services."

Charlie smiled into her hair and said, "Well since they think you're already paid for, want to give them a show?"

"It depends, what kind of show are we talking about, why don't you grab my ass and I'll wrap my legs around your waist. Would you mind some passionate kissing?" Viviana said smiling as she caught Charlie's look of surprise. Before she knew it Charlie had slid his hands down to cup her ass, and pick her up. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her lips against his neck. She slowly licked, bit and kissed her way up his jaw line enjoying the light moans he was producing. She felt one of his hands slide from her ass to the back of her thigh. She started grinding against the front of Charlie and was rewarded by his sharp intake of breath and a ragged moan. Before they knew it the elderly couple had hurried off of the elevator on the 4th floor presumably bothered by their passionate embrace. Charlie had frozen the elevator with magic as they continued their assault of each other.

"Viv," Charlie moaned as she kept kissing, nipping and grinding. "I think they left, we should, oh god." He could tell she had aroused him and his left hand was sliding under her skirt to firmly grasp her ass in his hand. He was surprised when he didn't encounter anything but a thin strip of lace that must have been a thong. He turned her around and slammed her back against the glass of the elevator door earning a rough moan from her throat. Charlie began his ruthless assault of her lips against his and started grinding against her core.

"Oh god Charlie!" She had her fists in his hair, and felt his obvious arousal pressing against her core. _Fuck. I haven't gotten laid in months and he's driving me to the point of no return._ She could feel his hands massaging her ass and felt his thumbs running along the edge of lace of her panties. "Charlie we either have to stop now or go back to my room. I can't take it."

As soon as Charlie felt the edge of her panties he lost it. _I want to rip off your panties and fuck you senseless until you're screaming my name._ Charlie thought, he looked into her eyes to check to see if she was at all bothered by what he was doing. Instead he was met with a sensual smile on her face. He started rubbing his thumb against her core feeling the obvious wetness her panties were desperately trying to hold in. She arched her body against him and moaned his name. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her eyes were lidded with lust. Taking this as a sign to keep going he slipped his thumb under her panties and began rubbing her clit in slow, small circles. Soon his thumb was coated in the silky texture of her arousal. He slipped his middle finger into her dripping core and rubbed her epicenter as he continued to make circles along her clit. He marveled at how tight she was, thinking to himself, _fuck I'd love to take her here, slam myself into her body and just cut loose._ He slowly worked another finger into her and was rewarded with a breathy moan, and he could feel her pussy clench tight around his fingers.

He heard her whimpering as she said, "Oh god, oh god, oh god, Charlie please, please, please. I'm cumming, oh god I'm cumming!" He felt her pulse from her center, her pussy was tightly clamped around his fingers, and he stroked her clit gently as she came down from her orgasm.

"Charlie, my god. I wasn't expecting you to finger fuck me in the elevator." Viviana said as she smiled up at him. He gently let her down and she stood shakily on her own two feet.

"Hey I was going along with our plan, and uh, got a little carried away. I think you enjoyed it though." Charlie smugly said as he used his wand to clean both of them up. He reached over and smoothed her hair with his hands, and leaned down and kissed her. "Are you still up for that drink?"

"Yes I am up for a drink or two. You might want to tell your brother you're not staying with him tonight. After all, I'm thinking we should continue this after we go out." Viviana said as she reached down and grasped his arousal in her hand. "That and I wouldn't want to leave you unsatisfied."

"I doubt Bill actually thought I'd be coming home tonight anyways. He thought we'd end up getting together at some point." Charlie said as he walked Viviana out of the elevator and into the main lobby. He hailed a taxi and told him to take them to the 'The Thorned Rose'. It was a cross between a dive bar and a hipster bar. He liked it because it was busy enough to be fun and quiet enough that if you didn't want to be bothered you wouldn't be. He held Viviana against him in the cab and thought about his last relationship. He remembered the first day that he had met Kate. He had just entered the infirmary on the Reserve for a nasty scratch a particularly vicious horntail had given him. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the tall blond. She had beautiful green eyes and a smile that lit up the room. They had flirted a little bit while she fixed up his arm and decided to eat dinner together. He wished he could erase the memories of her, but he knew he had learned a lot throughout that failed relationship. He remembered when he caught her cheating on him, he had been on an assignment in China capturing a fireball, and wanted to surprise Kate by coming home early. He knew that they had been on the rocks the last few months but for their 2-year anniversary. He had picked out a ring and was going to propose. He remembered appriating to their apartment with a bouquet of roses in his hand and the ring in his pocket. He had opened the front door and noticed that all the lights were off except the one in their bedroom. As he walked towards the bedroom he heard her laugh lightly and heard a male chuckle follow. Charlie didn't remember opening the bedroom door, but the next thing he remembered was seeing her and man named Garrett entwined in each other's bodies, Kate was moaning Garrett's name and Garrett was furiously slamming himself into Kate. He remembered dropping the bouquet of roses on the ground dumbstruck at what was going on, unable to process the scene in front of him. He softly said Kate's name, and Garrett flew off of her, Kate quickly covered her body with the sheet. Charlie had gotten into a fistfight with Garrett and Kate begged them to stop fighting. Charlie had thrown Kate out of the apartment clad only in a sheet and threw Garrett out with his clothes. He had never felt more betrayed and hurt than he had in that moment. It took months to get over what had happened and when Kate begged him to get back together with him, he had told her to go fuck herself, and leave. He had the last victory of her getting fired for sleeping around with the department heads. His mother had been terribly angry at the thought of anyone hurting her little boy and Bill had offered to hex her into the next millennium. Charlie sighed as he clutched Viviana closer to his body and he felt her slip her small hand into his. He already knew he liked her on a very physical level but he didn't want to jump into anything because silently he knew he didn't want to get hurt all over again.

"Charlie, are you okay? You've been very quiet since we got into the cab. Are you regretting what we did in the elevator?" Viviana asked. _He must think I'm such a slut because we basically fucked in the elevator and we've only known each other a couple days. _

"I'm fine Viv, just thinking about something's that don't need to be discussed. I'm not regretting what we did, and I don't think less of you. It was a bit of fun, and that's it." Charlie regretted saying it as soon as he said it. He saw her straighten up and pull away from him slightly. "I didn't mean for it to come out so harshly, we both got caught up in the moment, I'm not saying that what we did was wrong."

"It's fine Charlie, don't worry about it. We're both adults capable of making our own decisions." Viviana said coolly. _Great, he thinks I'm just a piece of ass. Way to screw things up with a perfectly good man. God damnit. _

"That'll be 10 pounds." The cab driver said.

"I've got it Charlie." Viviana had a crisp note in her hand and slid it through the window in the taxi. "Thanks, have a good night sir."

They walked in silence towards the bar, Viviana was holding herself very tightly and a faint smile was etched onto her lips. It wasn't a smile of happiness just a mask that she knew she wore well. She could tell that Charlie was unhappy with how they had left things in the cab but she couldn't decide on how to proceed with the rest of their evening. She was confused as to how she felt about Charlie. She was able to read people very well, and she could tell that Charlie had some past relationship issues that weren't resolved and she didn't want to press it. She liked him enough, but didn't want to be used and thrown away either. She didn't think that he was the type of man to do that, but she wasn't willing to wait it out and see. If all he wanted was a quick fuck, she didn't mind, but she wanted something more substantial. She knew her parents weren't incredibly thrilled with her moving to England to work at Gringotts. They wanted her to settle down and start looking for potential suitors. Something she wasn't interested in, she didn't want to be bothered with being the perfect housewife and socialite. She wanted to make something of her life and help the general public. She knew that she was very talented and could really make a difference out there. She was pulled out of her revere when Charlie tapped her hand with his.

"This is the bar. Are you ready to go in?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah this looks like a nice bar. Hopefully it's a nice mix of people." Viviana responded.

When they entered the bar she noticed that there was a small dance floor. There were a few private booths against one wall, a few tables scattered throughout and the bar itself was pretty impressive looking. The ceiling was mirrored, and the floor looked like concrete. Viviana sauntered over to the bar, and Charlie noticed that a vast amount of the male population followed her movements to the bar. He sighed, knowing that he probably blew it with her. He had all but called her a slut, even though he was the one that initially suggested putting on a show in the elevator, and fingering her until she came. He frowned at himself, it wasn't like him to not care about someone else, and his break up with Kate had changed him a lot. He pushed all of those thoughts aside and decided to have a fun evening with Viviana. He sat in the barstool next to hers, and asked the bartended for a pint.

"So what did you order?" Charlie asked.

"I ordered an Irish car-bomb, and a vodka martini." Viviana said smiling lightly. She hoped that Charlie's sudden mood swing was for the better. "Wanna do a car bomb with me?"

"What's a car-bomb? Sounds dangerous." Charlie asked skeptically.

"The way I order it is dangerous. It's a pint of Guinness', a shot of Bailey's, and a shot of Jameson. You toss the two shots into the Guinness' and chug otherwise the beer curdles the Bailey's. It's one of my favorite shots." Viviana said to Charlie.

"Well I guess I can try one." Charlie said. He knew it might end up being a pretty rough night if they were starting off with such a powerful shot.

The bartender brought over his pint, her martini and their two car bombs. The bartender asked if they wanted to pay for the drinks outright or start a tab. Charlie handed him a credit card and said they would start a tab.

"Okay are you ready to do this Charlie?" Viviana asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"This proves to be interesting." Charlie replied. "It's my first one."

"Sweet, I've taken your cherry, I like where this is heading." Viviana grabbed her rocks glass filled with the Jameson and Bailey's and held it over the wide pint of Guinness. "Alright Charlie, it's time to nut up or shut up!"

With that they both dropped their rocks glasses into their pints and began to chug furiously. Viviana finished way before Charlie and she licked her lips. Charlie looked bewildered with the flavor of the shot. It was creamy, dark and tasted like coffee with creamer, the Jameson added a slight bite that he didn't find too unpleasant.

"Merlin's beard, that was strong as all get out." Charlie exclaimed. "How can such a tiny thing like you, drink something that strong?"

"Honey, I can handle my liquor with the best of them. Wanna make a little bet?" Viviana asked with an incredibly mischievous glint in her eye.

Charlie eyed her as he took a large sip out of his beer. Wondering why she would want to bet on each other so early in the evening. "Alright, what does this bet consist of?"

"I bet that I can out drink you this evening." Viviana said. "The rules are as followed: 1. It constitutes who can drink the most alcohol in the evening without getting plastered; 2. You throw up or quit you automatically lose. 3. If your speech slurs you lose. Got it?"

"Alright, well what do I win if you lose this bet?" Charlie asked.

"Depends, what do you want?" Viviana asked as she threw back the rest of her martini. She motioned for the bartender and ordered another car bomb, and a skinny pirate.

Charlie sat there motionless, before he said, " Why don't we make up the conditions of winning throughout the night."

"Fine by me, that works out just fine." Viviana said before slamming another car bomb. "I'll have the bartender keep track of what we're drinking and how much. So far you're really behind me because I drink liquor not beer."

"Okay I'll switch to whiskey. You're not going to win this little competition you know. I outweigh you but 40 kilos." Charlie said as he ordered two car bombs, four shots of tequila, and a Jameson and coke.

"I will win and victory will taste so sweet." Viviana said as they split the car bombs, and tequila. She looked over at Charlie and smiled, she leaned her head against his shoulder and inhaled his delicious cologne. She was incredibly attracted to him and wanted nothing more than to take him home and curl up in bed with him. "Alright I'm going to dance a little bit, the music is too horrible, and I like some of the new techno that's playing. In fact I love this song!"

As she got up and strutted to the dance floor 'Moar Ghosts n Stuff' pounded through the speakers and she started to sway seductively and grind to the music like it was her last night on earth. She was attracting a lot of attention, not all of it unwanted either. A girl with red hair started dancing with her, and she leaned in and slipped her arms around Viviana. Viviana leaned in against her and they started grinding against each other. Charlie almost spit out his beer when he saw the girl slide her hand under Viviana's skirt. Viviana threw her head back and let out of a throaty chuckle.

"So are you here with anything honey?" The red head asked her as she started to run her fingers up and down the insides of Viviana's thighs. "My name is Eve by the way. I saw the way you moved and had to come over and have a bit of fun with you. Wanna give the rest of the men a good show?"

"I am here with a friend, he's sitting at the bar. It's nice to meet you Eve, I'm Viviana, and I'd love to give the boys a good show." Viviana said as she felt Eve's hands slide up closer to her center. _Holy crap this girl really wants to give everyone a show._

Eve moved behind Viviana and stroked her hands up against Viviana's sides and faux slide them over her breasts. She leaned down and licked the side of Viviana's neck.

"God you taste amazing, like crisp apples, and star anise." Eve said. "I bet the rest of you tastes equally as delicious. If you want, we could skip the show and make it a more private endeavor."

"Thanks, but I think I'd like to stay a little longer. I have a bet going with my friend Charlie to see who can drink the most." Viviana said. The song ended and Viviana said, "So if you wanna join us at the bar for a shot you're more than welcome to."

Eve and Viviana walked over to Charlie arm in arm. Charlie smiled at them both before saying, "Wow that was some show you two put on. I doubt any male would say no to buying you both a few shots. And I'm one of them. What would you lovely ladies like to drink?"

"I'll take a vodka and cranberry, and another car bomb please." Viviana said.

"I'll have a tequila sunrise please." Eve said. "Charlie you're one lucky man, she's a fantastic dancer and god I wish I was taking her home with me."

Charlie coughed a little as he replied to Eve's comment. "Yeah she's a damn fine dancer, too bad I can't dance for shite."

As soon as the drinks were served Charlie passed around a water moccasin to each of them and lifted up the shot glass before saying, "To those we've lost, to those we've kept and fuck all of the rest!"

They all slammed their shots, and started drinking whatever else each of them held in their hands. They decided to play a game of quarters, in which Viviana learned that she was terrible at.

"Damn, guys. I couldn't get this quarter in if my life depended on it!" Viviana said. She realized that she had drunk a lot more than normal and it was nearly 2 am. She looked around and noticed that the bartenders were putting up the chairs. "I think we're about to get kicked out guys."

"Really is it that late already?" Charlie exclaimed.

"Alright you three, it's time to close up. I split the bill three ways like you wanted it." The bartender said.

They all began reaching into their pockets for their credit cards. After they paid for everything they walked outside of the bar. Charlie had a faint blush on his face, and Eve was definitely tipsy. Viviana had a pink tinge to her cheeks as well, her co-ordination didn't suffer too greatly though.

"Alright you two have a good night." Eve said as she slipped her number into Viviana's palm. She also leaned in and kissed Viviana squarely on the lips. She then whispered into Viviana's ear, "If you decide to call me, we could have a fair bit of fun yank. See you soon."

Eve hopped into a waiting taxi, and sped off into the night. Charlie and Viviana slipped into another cab smiling at each other. They told the cab driver where Viviana was living and sat leaning against each other.

"So what were those conditions of that bet?" Charlie asked.

"Well if you think I've lost, what did you want from me?" Viviana asked seductively.

"Well I'd like it if you took me back to your place and we take it from there." Charlie said.

"Well you were already heading back with me. So why don't we finish this conversation when we get there." Viviana promptly kissed Charlie as they finished their night with a lasting kiss.

**Okay guys, that's my first update for the day. I'll write more later, the coffee shop I'm at is about to close and I don't want to be a burden. What did you think? I want to know what you think will happen in the next chapter. Please review and I'd really appreciate it! Everblue1037 and KirkPotter thank you for your reviews I heart you both! I need some feedback please, I want to know that I'm keeping your interest and that all of my ideas so far are streamlined. I totally need more coffee! R&R peace love and bullet proof marshmallows. **


	4. Through the Emerald Door

Chapter 4: Through the Emerald Door

**Hello and good afternoon! It's finally sunny outside, and I am fully enjoying it. I'm glad that there are so many other people reading my story, and I'd love it if a few more of my readers would please review. Once again I thank Everblue1037 and KirkPotter for their reviews they are very much appreciated! I'm struggling on how far I should take Charlie and Viviana's relationship, I've planned a few bumps in the story so far, and I'm trying to update ever day that I'm off. I work all the way through Monday sadly, so I won't be able to update until I have my next day off. Now on with the show!**

Charlie and Viviana walked into the lobby of the Luxor hand in hand and headed towards the elevator. When the entered the elevator, Viviana blushed vividly when she thought of what she and Charlie had done when they had been there earlier. She smiled at Charlie and leaned in against his chest inhaling the delicious smell of his cologne. She looked up into his eyes and saw that they were shining down at her.

"Charlie, the bartender handed me a slip detailing how much we both drank. Want to read those results now, or when we're back in the room?" Viviana asked Charlie.

"Are you prepared to lose?" Charlie asked as he leaned down and kissed her lips.

Viviana broke the kiss and said, "I will not be losing my good sir, I'm sorry but you will definitely be on the losing side."

"Viv, let's worry about those results when we get back to the room. I'd like to keep kissing you until then." Charlie said as he pressed his lips against hers and held her deeply against his body.

As the continued to deepen their kiss, their minds wandered. Viviana was thinking about the possibility of Charlie actually wanting her in his life. _I hope this ends up going somewhere, I'd hate for this to just be a fleeting moment in time. _She ran her hands through his thick, soft hair and pressed her body closer to his. She could feel his hands running across her body tenderly, and she sighed with contentment. The elevator dinged quietly signaling that they were at their floor. They walked towards her room, hand in hand, smiling at each other. Viviana could feel herself falling for him, and she thought it was moving quiet fast. _Good god woman, slow down. You've barely gotten to know him, and you're rushing into things very quickly! You don't want to have your heart be broken, and then forced to be around his family because of work. Let things play out and see what'll happen. __**He isn't Adam he won't pretend to love you then ditch you when someone better comes along.**__ Now I'm arguing with myself, great. _

When they arrived at her door she started checking the wards, and undid the magical lock on her door. A rush of warmth caught them both and she smiled. It was her way of being welcomed home. She walked into the room and took off her shoes, closed the curtains and curled up in bed. Charlie had already tossed his shoes off and slid onto the bed next to her.

"Viv, are you okay? You seem deep in thought, and you keep sighing softly to yourself." Charlie asked. "We don't have to take this any farther if you're not ready to. I wouldn't ask that of you."

"I'm fine Charlie, thank you for asking. I'm just thinking about my last failed relationship. When I say it failed, it makes the atomic bombings of Japan seem like fireworks on the 4th of July." Viviana said with a bitter chuckle. "I think it might be better if we waited to really do anything else physically. I hate to leave you hanging but I'm not emotionally ready to deal with the possible fallout."

Charlie looked over at her and he thought about Kate again. _I meet a wonderful woman, and all I can think about is my ex. She really screwed me up, and now I can't get past it. I don't want to rush Viv, but I am starting to fall for her. _He was silently glad that Viviana didn't want to rush into things, because he wasn't particularly ready to deal with everything that came with a relationship either.

"Well I'm glad to hear that we're on the same page. I'm not ready to deal with everything about a relationship either. I'm fond of you, but I don't want to make the same mistakes that I did with Kate." Charlie said, enjoying the fact that by saying her name didn't hurt as much as it used to. "Viv, would you want to just start with a real date and see where it goes?"

"Yes!" Viviana said smiling at Charlie. She leaned over and curled up against his body sliding her arm across his chest. "I'd really like it if we did that. My ex, well he broke me into a million pieces and I can't go through that again."

Charlie held her tightly in his arms, running his fingers across her back as he listened to her talk. He inhaled her scent and enjoyed the way it made him feel warm inside.

"Viv, if you're free tomorrow night, I'd like to take you to dinner." Charlie said.

"I will be free tomorrow, I know Bill said that he doesn't work on the weekends but I plan on starting some work here to get myself better situated with what I'll be doing. I'm sure by the time you're ready for dinner I will enjoy a break from my work." Viviana said slowly tracing Charlie's ribs.

"Do you want me to leave? I can go if it makes you more comfortable." Charlie said as he enjoyed the attention that Viviana was giving him.

"If you want to go you can, although I am enjoying you next to me. It's been a really long time since I've felt this safe and comfortable." Viviana said. "Charlie will you please stay?"

Charlie kissed the top of her head as he whispered to her, "Of course I'll stay. I'd love to hold you the rest of the night. I'd never let anything happen to you."

"Alright well I'm going to go change, and then we can go to bed. If you need to use the bathroom, there's an extra towel, washcloth, and toothbrush. Did you need anything to wear tonight?" Viviana asked as she sat up and slid off the bed.

"I should be okay in what I'm wearing, thanks for everything else. I wouldn't want you to confuse my breath with a dragon when we wake up in the morning." Charlie said.

Viviana was walking towards her closet as she slipped off her miniskirt. She was standing with the halter-top and a black lace thong. Charlie whistled to himself when he saw the tattoos on her lower back and across her hips. He watched as the halter-top slid from her shoulders then onto the floor. He realized that he should probably stop staring but he couldn't bring himself to look away. Viviana looked over her shoulder and she caught Charlie staring at her. She smiled at him and he blushed knowing that he got caught.

"Charlie, like the view?" Viviana said with a chuckle. Charlie had stood up and pulled her over to the bed and as he picked her up she straddled his waist.

"Viv, I doubt this is taking things slowly, but damn woman, I was enjoying the view very much." Charlie said. He could still feel the effects of the alcohol running through his veins. He could also feel himself getting quite hard as she straddled him. He ran his eyes across her body. He could see a set of tattoos across her rib cage, the rune and vine design across her hips, he wanted to trace his tongue across all of them. He pulled her in closely for a kiss and he could feel her full breasts graze his chest.

Viviana moaned into his mouth as soon as she was pressed against his arousal. She wanted him to lose the clothes and feel his body work hers into a frenzy. As he kissed and bit along her neck and collarbone she arched her back with anticipation. Charlie took one of her nipples into his mouth and began slowly sucking on it. She could feel herself becoming wet with arousal. She felt slightly dizzy from all of the liquor she had consumed and as Charlie switched to her other breast she moaned again.

Charlie stood up and unbuttoned and unzipped his pants with Viviana still wrapped around his waist. He could tell that she was getting wet and he wanted to play with her again. He sat back on the bed, and pulled off his shirt. He set Viviana on the bed and slid on top of her, slowly kissing her neck and he moved towards her breasts. His hands traced her tattoos on her ribs, and worked lower to the tattoos on her hipbones.

"Charlie, we can't have sex. Not so soon, I thought we were going to take this slowly." Viviana choked out as she felt his fingers tracing her ribs and hips.

"We are taking things slowly, we don't have to have sex. I can't help that you make me so damn horny!" Charlie said as he bit into her ribcage earning a low moan from Viviana.

Viviana felt his fingers slowly trace her hipbones, and slowly work her one of the bows on her panties loose. He leaned down her body and slowly kissed and sucked the skin over her hipbones into his mouth. Charlie wanted more than anything to take off her panties and play with the rest of her. He wasn't eager to rush into sex, but he did want to hear her scream his name. He undid the other side of her panties and slid off the thong. He enjoyed the beautiful sight before him, her pussy was glistening from how wet he had made her; she looked like a ripe orchid. He looked up into her eyes as he slowly began to trace along the insides of her thighs, he saw her hips buck gently. He slowly leaned down and began kissing the insides of her thighs and kissed the apex between her core and her thighs. _God she smells delicious, like fresh apples, how far should I take this? I've already heard her cum; I want her to fully let go when I dive between her legs._

"Charlie, oh god, you're such a tease!" Viviana said loudly as she felt his fingers trace the outsides of her pussy. She felt like she was on fire as he ran his fingers across her labia. "Please I want to see you undressed, drop your boxers."

"Viv, you know what'll happen if I get naked. I don't think we'll be able to stop at just playing with each other." Charlie said as he slipped his tongue out to catch a drip of her arousal. He quickly lapped it up and heard her moan as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Charlie please, please, please. I want to see you naked." Viviana begged. She watched him stand up and slowly peel his boxers down. He stood to complete attention and he was a treat to her eyes. He was incredibly well hung; he looked about 8 inches long and a full girth to go along with it. He slowly climbed back up onto the bed and hovered on top of her.

"I take it that you like what you see." Charlie said. He began to kiss her lips softly slipping his tongue into her mouth. He felt her slide her leg around his waist and he felt the tip of his thick cock brush against her core. As soon as they brushed against each other, he felt her shudder against him. She started to rock against him as they made out; ever time she moved he moaned against her lips. He loved how wet she was, it helped him slide against her dripping slit. "Viv, god that feels amazing. You're so wet!"

When Charlie had taken off his boxers, Viviana was welcomed with a very beautiful surprise. Charlie was well hung and she was enjoying feeling the tip of his cock rub against her. She knew that they wouldn't have sex tonight but she was enjoying feeling him grind himself against her. She made a noise of annoyance as Charlie knelt down between her legs dragging him against her wet core. He slid further down and began to slowly bite and nibble her hipbones. She knew what he was going to do and cried out when he finally slide a finger into her dripping core. He worked his thumb against her clit and worked his finger deep into her epicenter. Her lusty moan kept him going as he slowly circled her clit.

"Charlie, please, oh god, please!" Viviana begged.

Charlie leaned down and began slowly lapping her arousal up and he quickly tongued her clit. He could feel the tightness of her pussy clench around his fingers as she came. He brought her down slowly and slid up her body pulling her close to his chest. He could see her chest rapidly rising and falling as she caught her breath.

"I love watching you let go." Charlie said as he grinned at her. "You're so breathtaking Viv."

"Charlie, that was, amazing to say the least." Viviana said smiling up at him. She leaned down and kissed him on the lips.

" I don't know about you babe, but I could fall asleep now." Charlie said sighing contently. He could feel her slowly relaxing against his chest he saw her wave her arm and the blankets fell over both of them.

"Just so you know, I tend to move a lot in my sleep." Viviana said between yawning. "Oh, and I'd like you to know that you're phenomenal, I promise to reciprocate."

"Don't feel like you have to, I've really enjoyed myself. I don't mind you moving in your sleep as long as you don't punch me in the face." Charlie said.

"I'll try not to. Good night Charlie." Viviana said as she curled up against his shoulder.

Charlie was incredibly comfortable as he held her. It had been so long since he was able to relax and hold a woman he cared about in his arms. He sighed gently thinking about the last few times he was with Kate. He didn't like that she always drifted back into his mind, but he knew that he had to get over her fully before he could really start over with anyone else. Kate was never as sweet as Viviana was; Kate was very selfish and flaunted herself to anyone that paid attention. He wanted to really get to know Viviana before jumping into anything else with her. He knew that his mother would approve more of Viviana than she did with Kate. Molly never directly told Charlie that she didn't like Kate but he knew she wasn't fond of her. Come to think of it most of his family wasn't fond of her. They thought she was very stuck up, spoiled and a bit of a slag. He remembered fighting with his family a year before he found out Kate was cheating on him. He was defending her for blowing off their family vacation to go to a fashion show in Milan. Molly had been hurt that Kate wanted to spend time in Milan over going to Egypt to see Bill, Charlie justified it saying that Kate's parents wanted to see them while they were in Milan. It had caused a large rift between himself and his mother. When Charlie did catch Kate cheating on him, he thought his mother was going to personally hunt her down and curse her for her cheating heart. He felt Viviana stir against him whimpering in her sleep, he stroked the hair away from her face, as he kissed her forehead she quieted down and snuggled closer to his chest. Charlie knew that he should get some sleep before the rising sun woke her up. He leaned back against the pillow and slowly fell asleep.

In the morning as the sun slowly drifted in, Viviana yawned and silently got off of the bed. She walked over to the closet and pulled a comfortable dress out and a pair of leggings. She kissed Charlie's forehead, and walked into the bathroom. She showered quickly and dried her hair with a spell. She added violet colored highlights and did her make up. Her dress was an emerald green color that hit her at midthigh, her leggings were black and she found her black high heeled boots. She left a quick note for Charlie letting him know she was going to get breakfast. She reset the wards, and left her room. As she wandered the streets of London she thought about her new job and wondered what kinds of work she would be doing for Bill. Her past experiences with curse breaking had her experimenting on different ways to think outside of the box. She was proficient with doing most of her spells without a wand. It helped that she could visualize the spells and work them with her hands. She would pretend she was unlocking a door and weave her magic throughout the curse in front of her. Some days she thought she made a better curse maker, than a curse breaker. She enjoyed all sorts of puzzles and riddles, logic was her ally and she knew that she was sought after because of her talents. She didn't know if she wanted to tell Charlie the reasons why she was working in London. She had left her job in Italy and Chicago because the threats were getting too much for her to handle. She was sick of the war that she had seen in different countries, she thought that she was being a coward by running from the problems she had encountered. She didn't want to join the Death Eaters and she had let them know it. Malfoy had confronted her a few times in Italy, and had tried forcing her to join them by casting the Imperius curse on her. She was able to fight it off and disappear over night to America. She knew it wasn't a lasting disappearance and soon enough Voldermort had found her. He wasn't going to take no for an answer and soon she had found herself dueling him. It was a stroke of luck that she was able to get away finding asylum with Albus Dumbledore. She had joined the new Order as soon as she touched down in London, and she hoped that she would be able to fight the Death Eaters. Albus knew that she was an amazing duelist, he had asked her to show him what she could do, and she remembered taking down most of his office as the dueled. Albus wanted her to work on the sidelines and under cover instead of fighting on the front lines. It bothered her because she knew she would've been able to handle whatever came her way, but she also knew that he was wise and wanted her to work on finding new ways to thwart the Death Eaters plans.

Viviana arrived at a local bakery and as she searched through the bake case she saw a few pastries that looked delicious. She wasn't sure what Charlie would like, so she picked a variety of different things out. She also picked up some fresh orange juice and some coffee. She shrunk everything down and slipped it into her bag. She walked back to the hotel and took the elevator to her floor. As she unwarded the door she noticed it was glowing red. Someone had tried to force their way in, but clearly didn't know how to break through. She hurried inside and woke Charlie up.

"Charlie, Charlie, CHARLIE!" Viviana ended up shouting as she shook his shoulder.

"Whatisit?" Charlie said groggily. He noticed that she looked bothered, and sat up immediately. "Did someone attack you, what's wrong?"

"Someone tried breaking through my wardings, we need to get going and move somewhere else." Viviana said. "I need to find a different place to live, hurry we don't have much time."

"Okay, calm down we'll figure everything out okay? No one will harm you while you're with me, I promise." Charlie said as he threw on his clothes. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. He noticed the violet highlights as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You look beautiful. As always."

"Thanks, I needed to hear that." Viviana said. She set her bag on the bed and she gestured with her hands and said_ pack finite_. Everything slid into a single bag that was no bigger than most briefcases. "Okay I have breakfast in the bag on the bed, we'd better wait to eat though. Do you have a place we can go to without being followed?"

"The Burrow I suppose, are you sure you want to go there?" Charlie asked knowing that if they showed up there his mother would grill them both and he didn't want Viviana to worry about what she would say to them.

"If you don't have anything else to do, I can take you to one of my safe houses." Viviana said. "The only problem is that it's not exactly in the country."

"That's fine, we can do that until we can figure out a place for you to move into." Charlie said grabbing his shoes and putting them on. "I'm ready when you are."

"Put this on," Viviana said handing him a small leather necklace with an ancient looking clover on it. "This is a key to where we're going. Without it you couldn't see or even get to the house."

As soon as Charlie put it on, he felt like he was being doused with a bucket of ice water. He shivered and then was instantly warm when she slid her hand into his. In mere second he felt them swirl into the air and disappear. When he opened his eyes he saw a lush forest around him and a small cottage in front of him. He wasn't sure where they were, but it wasn't London. The sun was shining and he could hear movements of animals close by. He saw a hawk fly overhead before dipping low onto a tree branch. He looked over at Viviana wondering where they were.

"Sorry about that, I didn't give you a very fair warning as to where we were headed. I thought it was best if you didn't know. I wasn't sure if we were bugged or not." Viviana said. She looked very relieved that they weren't followed. In fact she looked much more relaxed than Charlie had ever seen her.

"Do you ever let your guard down? Even when we were out the other night, I could tell that you were bothered, and had your guard up." Charlie said. He wished he hadn't said that because her face immediately looked drawn and angry.

"Charlie, I have to be on my guard. The only reason that I am in London is because the Death Eaters and Lord Voldermort have hounded me the last few years. I'm trying to work against them, and I couldn't when I was in Italy or Chicago. I have a price on my head and London was supposed to be the safest place for me, but as you can see I guess I'll never be safe enough. That's why I'm working with Bill, I am going to fight against them with whatever tools I can." Viviana spat out, she looked beyond pissed. Her eyes were glowing with an internal heat and fire that Charlie had seen only in a very pissed off horntail. "We're in Ireland by the way, this is one of my safe homes."

"Look I'm sorry okay? I didn't know that you were in danger. Do you think I enjoy knowing that you're being hunted?" Charlie said with an equal passion. "I promised you that I'd protect you, I'll keep you safe."

"That's great to hear Charlie, but I don't need someone trying to protect me and getting in my way. I'm more than capable of dealing with the bastards myself." Viviana said as she stamped her foot on the ground. "I am sorry that was spiteful of me, but I am a grown woman and I'm very used to taking care of myself. I do appreciate your help, you're incredibly kind."

"Viv, I'm not saying that you are some damsel in distress, but know that I'll be here for you, I'm not trying to encroach on your personal life." Charlie said.

Viviana leaned over and kissed him, "I know Charlie, I know. Why don't we go inside and inform your family and Albus where we are. They'll want to know that we're safe."

"Alright, that sounds as good as any reason." Charlie said. "The cottage is lovely, it looks very comfortable."

"It should be, I built it a few years ago. It wasn't the first house I've built and I'm sure it won't be the last. It's a place I go when I really need to be alone and think. I have a lot to do by the end of tonight." Viviana said as she walked into the small wooden cottage.

Charlie looked around and soon followed her inside. He wondered more about what she was running from, and why she thought it was her personal mission to eliminate the Death Eaters. He wanted them to perish as well, but her passion looked like it streamed from pain, not just from a general wish for the world to be a better place. When he walked inside he saw a huge stone fireplace a large leather couch, and a few bookshelves and a few leather chairs. It looked very cozy and comfortable. He heard her moving around towards the back of the house, and when she came out from the kitchen she was balancing a plate of pastries, orange juice and coffee. She set it on the coffee table and lit the fireplace.

"Well here's breakfast, or brunch I suppose." Viviana said. "I didn't know if you were a juice or coffee person so I bought both. I'm going to ward the property, I'll be back soon."

"Do you want any help?" Charlie asked.

"No that's okay, you enjoy yourself and explore the house. I'll be back in an hour or so." Viviana said as she slipped off her high-heeled boots and put on a pair or black riding boots. "I'll be okay, don't worry."

Viviana walked over and kissed Charlie passionately before saying, "I'm glad you're here. I need someone to lean on now and then."

Viviana walked the boarders of the property, and saw that her old wards were holding up. She started to re-ward a silencing charm, an unplotable charm, an invisibility charm, and a very large shield barrier. She also did a blood ward using a small silver knife she sliced into her palm and let drops of blood slowly drip into the ground. The blood ward had a bright red glow to it and slowly made a dome over the cottage and surrounding areas until it was a large dome. Satisfied that she'd done the best she could do she smiled and walked up to the cottage. She saw Charlie at the back kitchen window, and smiled. _I think I'm starting to fall in love with him. He's so kind and passionate. I know he'd probably be good for me, I do need to relax more but it's so hard knowing that eventually I'll have to face all of my demons and I don't know if I'll make it through it all over again. I can't see him die; I won't go through that pain again._ Viviana walked into the house and walked up behind Charlie and hugged him tightly.

"If you need to shower go into the master bedroom there's everything you need there." Viviana said. "I'm going to call Albus and your family."

"Are you sure you don't want me to do it with you?" Charlie asked as he stroked her face gently.

"Yes, I'll handle it, go shower you stink!" Viviana teased.

"I do not!" Charlie said as he picked her up and kissed her. "I'll be back soon okay?"

"Alright. I'll see you after you're clean." Viviana said.

**So how do you think I did? I'm really on a roll and I'll update another chapter tonight. I'm loving where this story is headed. I'd REALLY like a few reviews before I update again. Thanks for reading, please click the review button, it would really make me feel useful.**


	5. Neverwhere you Want to Be

**WARNING! THIS IS A MATURE CHAPTER!**

Chapter 5: Neverwhere you Want to Be

**So I decided to add another chapter because my muse seems to be attached to me right now. There will be a pretty graphic torture scene so once again if it bothers you don't read the "flash back" part of this chapter. Giddy up and go.**

Viviana heard Charlie start the shower in the master bedroom. Upon hearing this she sat down in the leather armchair in the living room sipping a cup of coffee. She enjoyed the delicate hints of hazelnut and almond; she'd have to remember where she found the delicious blend. She was afraid of fire calling Albus, she knew that he would thoroughly dress her down for putting herself in danger, he wanted her to accept protective custody, but that wasn't something she was willing to do. She liked her independence and having an Auror follow her around all day and night would severely curtail that. She threw a handful of floo powder into the fire and it gave the fire an iridescent violet hue.

"Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwart's" Viviana said into the fireplace. As soon as she said this Albus popped his head into the flames.

"Ms. Valentine, I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon. I see you're not in the hotel any longer. Could you tell me why you suddenly departed?" Albus said.

"Because someone tried busting through my wardings while I was out getting breakfast." Viviana said with an annoyed sigh. "Albus I thought you said that I would be safer here, I wasn't even here for 48 hours and already someone came after me."

"Ms. Valentine, I hypothesisised that you would be safer. I didn't promise that you wouldn't be able to be found by them. I regret that they found you so soon, why didn't you tell me that they found you?" Albus said.

"I'm telling you now." Viviana said.

"Be that as it may, I thought you would've gotten a hold of me sooner. You're one of our top priorities, and I want to know that you're safe. Every time you leave your home you're putting everything at risk. You're a bright young woman and I think you need to watch out for them at ever turn. You're taking unnecessary risks, and it will end up costing someone else's life. You must understand that, I implore you to reconsider my original offer." Albus said. The normal smiling face that he projected was gone, and a grim frown sat on his face.

"Risks? You're talking to me about risks? How dare you, don't you think I know what I'm going against every time I walk around?" Viviana shouted. "I will not be under lock and key like some fucking doll. I already proved that I was more than powerful enough to protect myself! They couldn't get through my wardings, nor will they find me. No one can find me."

"What about Mr. Weasley? I know he's with you now. You should re-consider spending so much time with him. You're risking his life now too." Albus said. He saw a pained look come across her face and as soon as he saw it, it disappeared from her face.

"Don't you lecture me about the danger he's in. I'm more qualified to watch him while he's with me." Viviana said. "I will let you know when I'm back in London."

With that she waved her hand and the floo call ended. She leaned back into the armchair and thought about what he said to her.

**Flashback-3 years ago ****INCREDIBLY GRAPHIC READ AT YOUR OWN RISK**

"_Viv stop worrying so much!" Andrew said. "I know you're capable of protecting me, I trust you."_

"_Andrew, you don't know what these people are capable of. I'd never let them harm you. I promise. I love you little brother." Viviana said._

_Two days later she remembered coming home to her apartment in Chicago, as soon as she touched the door she knew something was wrong. Andrew knew to keep the blood wards up and they were down. She opened the door and saw that her apartment was blown apart. She ran into his bedroom and saw a man standing over a body. She knew that the body on the ground was Andrew. The man turned towards her with a wand in his hands he cast a spell and she felt the ropes tighten around her body. He attached her to the wall and conjured a chair and threw her roughly into it. She saw him lift the body of her brother into a chair opposite of hers; he looked dazed, but alive._

"_Viv, I'm sorry. I thought it was you; he made himself…"Andrew tried to talk before the hooded man back handed him._

"_Ahh, my lovely Viviana, I've wanted to meet you face to face. Your brother has been keeping me company the past few hours." He said. The man removed his cloak and Viviana gasped when she recognized the man. "I am Lord Voldermort and I'm honored to finally meet the young woman who defeated so many of my Death Eaters."_

_Viviana couldn't move, silently she was trying to break the bonds that held her in place. She knew that if she didn't get free Andrew would be tortured along with her, and they both would die. She knew how cruel the Dark Lord could be, she had read reports of the heinous methods he used to get his victims to talk and bend to his will. She wouldn't be a pawn in his games, nor would she let Andrew become one. She heard a cruel laugh from behind her, but she couldn't turn around. It sounded like a woman's laugh. A woman with wild black hair walked into the room carrying a wand and a silver knife. She looked at Viviana and smiled. _

"_Master, is it time for me to play? You know how much I enjoy my work." Bella said while she twirled the knife in her hands._

"_Bella put your knife away. You know we're only here to convince her that she's going to join us. If she refuses, then you can have some fun." The Dark Lord said. He slowly released the bind on Viviana's mouth. "Now my dear, please tell Bella you will join us, as much as I enjoy watching her have fun, I wouldn't want you to see your brother be a casualty to your stubbornness."_

"_Don't touch him! Let him go and we'll talk." Viviana said. The Dark Lord dragged her out of the room into her bedroom and left her brother with Bella. _

"_You will answer me with respect, or I'll teach it to you!" The Dark Lord stood in front of her and backhanded her. "Silencio! I wouldn't want your brother to hear our conversation."_

_He cast a silencing charm on the room, and then turned to Viviana smiling. "I think that you're trying to struggle against the bonds on your body. If you wanted out of them you should have said so, I promise this won't hurt. I wouldn't want to spoil your beautiful pure blood body." The Dark Lord released most of the ropes around her body. The ropes were still attached to her wrists and ankles. She was bound to the chair tightly._

_Viviana looked over and saw that he reclined like a king in another chair in her bedroom. She tried undoing the rest of the ropes, but all she could do is loosen them so they weren't as tight as before. She had heard that he would first torture her with different hexes and curses; and if she didn't relent he would resort to forcing her to submit to him sexually before finally killing her. She had read that he would do this for days before finally letting his female victims die. She knew that Bella would enjoy doing much of the same with men except she made it more painful, she had seen the pictures of men that refused Bella's advances. They were mostly hunks of misshapen meat when she was done with them, something about the blood that made her ecstatic. _

"_You'll understand that I want you to join me of your free will, after all I think you're a talented woman who would fit perfectly against my side. We could accomplish such great things, don't you think?" The Dark Lord said as he traced his wand against her jaw. "Your blood line is well known for their beauty, your family will be dealt with as well, I know your mothers line wouldn't join me, being blood traitors, but your fathers side would most assuredly join me. Wouldn't you rather join your family versus fighting them? ANSWER ME!"_

"_They won't join you and your rag-tag bunch of murderers and rapists!" Viviana yelled at him. "I would rather die than join you."_

"_CRUCIO!" The Dark Lord yelled. _

_Viviana screamed as she felt her blood boil, her ligaments stretch, and her body was lit with fire. As she thrashed in her chair she could feel the ropes cut into her body as her back arched from the pain. She tried to focus her mind away from the excruciating pain but she couldn't. _

"_Did you enjoy that? I have more power than anyone in this world! You will submit to me my dear, even if it's just for a quick fuck, you will submit. I can't promise you that you will enjoy it, but I will. I love watching women beg for the pain to stop, maybe I'll even keep you alive and keep you as my broken pet." The Dark Lord said as he whispered into her ear. "Just imagine, you'll be a treat I let anyone use when they've fulfilled my tasks for them. Some of them aren't as gentle as I am."_

_Lord Voldermort stood before her retying her to the bedposts at the angles he had her, her feet dangled off of the floor. He took his time humming to himself as he did this. His dark hair fell into his eyes and for a brief moment he looked like the Tom Riddle that had been at Hogwart's all those years ago, and not the monster he became after he was born anew. He took out his wand and slowly smiled. _

"_I think I'll help you get more comfortable. Not that what you're wearing isn't lovely, I prefer my women to look more appropriate for the job that they're meant to do. And you my dear won't be more than a play thing." The Dark Lord said with a throaty chuckle. He used his wand to cut through her crimson dress until it pooled at their feet. He removed her boots and leggings until she was only clad in a silk bra and thong. "It's nice to see such a lovely woman in such desirable undergarments. I love the color very fitting. I see you dressed up for me, and I appreciate that. It'll be a shame to mar such an exquisite woman."_

_He ran his finger across her body and she shuddered with revulsion. He began slowly kissing her neck and then he bit her neck. She cried out at the pain of feeling his teeth sink into her neck. She could feel his tongue working against her neck and she knew there would be a perfect set of teeth marks against her neck. With his wand he slowly traced it up against her inter thigh. She cried out and felt instantly weak for giving him any sign that he was causing her discomfort. _

"_What do you want?" Viviana asked knowing full that he wanted her talents as a witch._

"_Silly girl, I want you to willing submit to me. You will reign as my queen, and together we will kill anyone that stands in our way. Muggle's and blood traitors will perish and I will start a new way of life." The Dark Lord said as he slowly worked his way down to her breasts. He used his wand to slice through one of the straps. He flicked his tongue across her nipple making it hard in his mouth. The Dark Lord sighed and bit into her breast. "If you don't submit I'll torture and personally kill anyone that you love."_

"_Stop please. If you let go of my brother and let him go I'll do what you ask. Please let Andrew be free." Viviana begged. She shuddered again knowing that he was going to most likely rape her in her own bed. _

"_Your brother means so much to you. Maybe if you're a good little girl and do as I ask I'll let him live. I'm sure Bella is having such a fun time with him, would you like to see what she's doing to him? Maybe that will convince you of what needs to be done." The Dark Lord said. He waved his arm and the mirror opposite Viviana's bed turned into a video of what Bella was doing._

_Viviana saw her brother tied to his bed he was already fully undressed and Bella was carving into his skin with her knife. She could hear her brother screaming in pain. Bella was also undressed as she straddled his hips and laughed. She heard her brother begging for it to stop and Bella leaned down against his neck and said, "Just imagine, your sister tied down to her bed as my Master violates every…single…hole…She'll be stuffed with him, defiled and used like a common whore. Maybe I'll even let you watch. Won't that be fun? It'll be almost as fun as me forcing this dagger into your skin. I do love it when you scream it's making me quite wet, do you want to see?" Bella squatted above Andrew and spread her legs showing him that she was indeed dripping wet. "If only you were enjoying this as much as me, I'd let you play too."_

_The mirror changed back into a normal mirror and Viviana looked up at the Dark Lord. He was smiling, as he undressed himself. He loosened the tie and slowly unbuttoned his shirt and undid his pants. He was clad in silk boxers and his manhood was erect against the fabric. Viviana tried struggling against the ropes that cut into her skin. She didn't want her first time to be a product of rape. _

"_Well did you like what you saw? Bella does love it when they scream, she's like a shark, the blood fuels her desire." The Dark Lord said as he cut through the rest of her bra. "Now my dear, don't you feel better that I'm not ripping apart your skin?"_

"_Stop this, please let him go, he plays no part in this!" Viviana said. She was greeted with another dose of the cruciatis curse. She gasped for air and screamed until her throat was raw. With his non-wand hand the Dark Lord reached down and started stroking her core. Her silk thong was still in place and she silently prayed that he wouldn't force her to have sex with him._

"_I've found that forcing a woman through sexual persuasion breaks them better than a few spells. After I'm done with you, Bella with come in here with your brother and he'll be forced to watch you defiled. It's very exciting." The Dark Lord said. He knelt next to her body and cut through her thong before he let go of the cruciatis curse. He ripped away the rest of the material covering her womanly area. He knelt down and slowly trailed his fingers across her naked body before turning to face her. He kissed her breasts and slowly started sucking on her nipples before he moved between her legs and began kissing her there with brute force. She felt his tongue begin to probe between her legs and she felt like her body was betraying her; she could feel warmth grow at her center. _

_Viviana had never let her ex-boyfriends touch her like this; she'd only given them head after they wouldn't relent. They never touched her except to force her mouth further along on their cocks. She could tell that her body was starting to respond to the Dark Lords tongue and lips. She knew she was starting to get wet, she could feel his tongue enlarge inside of her virginal pussy. She struggled to pull away from his tongue and mouth. _

"_Please no, please stop, please god no!" She whimpered as she feel herself start to tingle. She felt his wand slowly take place of his tongue and he soon hit her barrier. _

"_My, my, what a catch. It's rare that you find such a lovely young woman still pure." The Dark Lord said. "This really will be a treat. I can't say I've had a virgin in such a long time. Is your brother pure as well?"_

"_I don't know, please let him go. Don't let her take that from him." Viviana begged._

"_Viviana dear, the more you beg the more desirable you are. Let's check on them and see if she's having as much fun as I am. Maybe I'll even make the mirrors in your rooms 2-way and you can watch each others innocence be ripped away." The Dark Lord said. He waved his arm and the mirror became a two-way mirror. "Bella dear, are you enjoying yourself?"_

_Bella was still crouched over Andrew's body. She was playing with his cock, pumping it furiously in her left hand. "Master, I think this one's pure! Do I have permission to do whatever I'd like to him?"_

"_Bella dear take the gag off of him, I want to hear him scream. They both are pure it seems." The Dark Lord said with a cruel smile on his face. "You may not kill him or maim him permantely other than that you are free to enjoy him, I know your husband isn't as much fun."_

"_Viv! Are you okay? Has that bastard done anything to you?" Andrew screamed. He could see his sister bound to the bed in the same position that he was._

"_Andrew it's okay, I'll get you out of this. I promise." Viviana said. "Please, let him go, I'll do whatever you want, but please let him go!"_

"_I'm not going to let him go insolent girl. I'm enjoying my toy too much!" Bella said as she loving stroked him to his full length. "It's so rare to find such sweet, young man."_

"_Show and tell is over, enjoy him Bella; but remember he must be whole and undamaged when you're through with him. I'll silence the mirror but they'll be able to watch each other have a bit of fun." The Dark Lord said. He walked back over to Viviana and slowly kissed down her neck and to her warm breasts. "Now my dear shall we get back to our original plan? I will enjoy de-flowering you, there are so many different spells that require a virgins blood, and perhaps I'll use yours."_

"_All of those spells require a blood from a willing virgin and I'm NOT a willing participant in your chauvinistic plans!" Viviana screamed at him._

"_I understand that your brothers life means nothing to you then. Pity, I guess you'll enjoy watching Bella torture him as he loses his cherry." The Dark Lord said as he began crassly caressing her thighs. _

"_Please no, don't do this." Viviana begged, she felt his fingers slowly stroke her sweet apex between her legs._

"_Okay, then you'll give me exactly what I want. Won't you." The Dark Lord said as he slid a finger into her body. She whimpered as he slid his finger up to his first knuckle into her wet pussy. _

"_Stop, please. I'll do what you want I promise. Give me your binding word that you'll let him live and I'll give you want you want from my body." Viviana said. She shuddered as she felt him rotate his finger slowly in and out of her body. _

"_I, Lord Voldermort give you Viviana Valentine my binding and eternal word that if you give me willingly your virginal blood I will let your brother live." The Dark Lord said as he bit into her shoulder making her cry out. "Finish it."_

"_I, Viviana Valentine give you Lord Voldermort my binding and eternal word that if you let my brother live I will give you willingly my virginal blood." Viviana said. _

"_Good girl, now with those pleasantries being over let's continue our fun." The Dark Lord said. He pulled out his wand and pressed it against her abdomen. "Crucio!"_

_He watched her scream as her back lifted off of the bed he smiled down at her gently. "I do love how graceful you look when you're screaming in pain. At least I don't have to worry about fathering a bastard child with you."_

_Viviana looked into the mirror and saw Bella leaning over Andrew as his cock slipped in and out of her mouth. His eyes rolled back into his head and Viviana could tell that he was torn between enjoying his first blowjob and screaming at the violation. She looked down between panting as she recovered from having the cruciatis curse upon her body. She saw the Dark Lord smile and slid back down her body and slipped his fingers back into her pussy. She tried to wriggle away from his finger and he used his other hand to tighten around her throat. _

"_Lay down you stupid bitch, I'm trying to make this pleasant for you. Unless you want force and that's something I'd enjoy." The Dark Lord said. He began lapping at her pussy licking her slit until she became wet again. "My, my I love it when a girl that's clearly doesn't want sex get nice and wet for me. Don't you have anything to say my dear?"_

"_Just finish this." Viviana said. She watched as the Dark Lord removed his boxers, he stood before her hard and thick. _

"_I promise I'll enjoy this, if you would've let me make you ready it could've been pleasant for you." The Dark Lord said. "Most pure blooded women would give anything to have me deflower them, it's quite an honor."_

"_I've seen bigger cucumbers than they pathetic thing you call a dick." Viviana said, she watched the fury over take the Dark Lords face. She felt her bindings grow loose and she was pulled into a different position._

"_If you're going to act like a bitch, I'll fuck you like a bitch in heat!" The Dark Lord said. He positioned Viviana in a doggy style position before he waved his hand over the mirror. They could hear Bella riding Andrew. "Look your brother is enjoying himself, although I'm sure he had to be imperiused to do so. It doesn't matter she'll fuck him until he comes, and he'll give her his seed."_

_Viviana called out to her brother but she could tell that he was gone. Bella had forced him to go along with whatever she wanted. She felt the Dark Lord position himself behind her, she felt his thick head press against her virgin pussy, as he grabbed her hair she saw Bella turn around and ride her brother reverse cowgirl. As soon as the Dark Lord and Bella's eyes met he plunged through her hymen. She remembered screaming out loud as he rammed himself deep inside of her until he attached a rope around her neck and began choking her. She passed out and the last thing she remembered was feeling him slide himself into her ass. _

_When Viviana woke up Voldermort was positioning himself in and out of her sore pussy again, she was aching all over and all she smelled was blood and his semen. __Oh god, what has he done to me? How long was I out? Andrew, where is Andrew?_

"_Sweet girl, did you pass out from the pleasure? I've taken ever hole of yours and made it mine. You've been fully deflowered and I made sure I left my marks on your body. Your brother has finished a few times with Bella she seems quite worn out." The Dark Lord said as he finished again. He wiped himself off onto her face smiling at the bruises that covered her body. "What do you have to say for yourself? This is the life you'll live for the rest of your life until I grow tired of you."_

"_GO FUCK YOURSELF!" Viviana screamed. She had worked out the knots that held her down. She threw up a shield and made it impenetrable. She stunned the Dark Lord and ran down the hall to get her brother. When she opened up the door to the bedroom she saw Bella holding a knife to her brothers throat. "Andrew!"_

"_Stupid bitch, you should've wiped the mirror before you broke free. We saw everything, didn't we sweetie!" Bella said as she stroked Andrew with the tip of the knife. _

"_Let him go, and I'll let you live." Viviana said calmly. The air around her got heavier and thicker, her hair blew around her in a halo. The air was tinged with the charge of electricity, and she saw the fear in Bella's eyes. "Back away from him now, or I'm going to fry your ass. Am I clear?"_

"_Yes, you've made your point whore." Bella said. Before Viviana could grab her brother and leave Bella stabbed down word and pierced his heart. "I enjoyed my time with you both!"_

"_ANDREW!" Viviana cried out. She grabbed her brother and disappriated away from their apartment. When they touched down at her parents house she held him in her arms and sobbed silently. She remembered her parents running out into the yard screaming at her and asking her if she was okay. They buried their son as a hero, and scorned her for attracting the desires of the Dark Lord. She soon started sneaking potions from her parents so she didn't feel anything and didn't care about anything. They forced an engagement to Adam within the end of the month and pretended like she was a doll; they made her do whatever they wanted. When she met Adam he was quiet, reserved and snobbish. She soon learned that he had a lot of the same views that the Dark Lord, he was abusive when he drank and forced himself upon her. She tried telling her parents and they ignored her. One day when she went to grab another potion out of her trunk she saw a photo of her brother, attached to it was a key to their joint Gringotts bank account. She quickly got dressed and grabbed a few of the possessions that she cared about. She told her parents she was meeting a friend from school for lunch to help plan the wedding. They praised her and said they were so glad she knew that they were helping her. She went to the bank started a different account and moved all of her own money, Andrews money and her inheritance money. She then decided to enter school under a different name and finished her studies as a curse breaker. _

_End Flash Back._

Viviana stood at the fireplace thinking about everything that had happened in the short amount of time. She heard Charlie turn off the water in the shower and she frowned. She knew that she was damaged, and Charlie was too good to be real. She was worried that when he found out about her torrid past he would rather run the opposite direction then consider her. She was thinking hard about this when Charlie walked back into the room.

"Viv, are you okay? Were you able to get in contact with Mom and Dumbledore?" Charlie asked.

"Charlie, oh yeah I talked to Dumbledore but I haven't fire called your Mom yet. I'm sorry I'm fine just thinking about the past." Viviana said sadly. "Do you mind calling your Mom? I need a shower to mull things over. I'm just out of it all of a sudden. The person that tried to get through the wards bothers me. I didn't think that they would be able to find me, and it just reminds me of something that happened a few years ago. I'm sorry."

"Viv, it's okay. I just want to make sure you're okay. You looked really upset when I walked into the room. Do you want to talk about it?" Charlie asked.

"No it's not something I'm really up to talking about right now. You won't be able to tell your Mom where you're at, just let her know that you're safe and that you're helping me look for a way to get an apartment. Don't tell her about the attack unless she asks about it. The fewer people that know the better." Viviana said as she wandered towards the bathroom.

Charlie threw the floo powder into the fire and soon he was greeted by his Mom's face. She didn't look upset but worry creased her brow.

"Charlie? Are you okay? Bill thought you would've been home by now." Mrs. Weasley said.

"Mum I'm fine. Viviana and I are looking for an apartment for her to move into. I will probably be gone the next few days, I just wanted you to know that I was safe and okay." Charlie said.

"Why will you be gone a few days? Are you and Viviana okay? Dumbledore called me earlier and asked if I had spoken to you two. He told me about her, and Charlie I'm not sure if this is a woman that you want to get involved with. She has a death mark on her, it's not safe for you." Mrs. Weasley said.

"You talked about her behind her back? Mum that's horrible, whatever happened to her is in the past, and she needs someone she can rely on without concern! We're fine, and I'll be gone a few days because she needs help, she's not from this country and she will need someone to help here find a place to live. You seemed to get along with her fine, up until you and Dumbledore decided to stick your nose in where it doesn't belong." Charlie said tersely to her.

"Charlie that's not what I meant. If you're not worried about your safety what about the rest of us? The Death Eaters already consider us blood traitors, do you want them to know you're harboring someone they but a death mark against?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Mum this isn't up to discussion. I'm helping her and that's final. I'll call you when I can. Her home has a blood ward on it I can't tell you where we are without her letting me into the charm." Charlie said.

"Alright if I can't bring you home, or find you in the next three days I swear Charlie Weasley I'll have both of your heads!" Mrs. Weasley said.

With that Charlie wiped the floo clean and sat down in the chair Viviana had been sitting in. He looked over and saw her standing in the doorway. It looked like she was made of stone, her face was set very grimly and she stood as if any sudden movement would break her.

"Charlie I should floo you back to your family. I think I know a place that I can stay at. I don't want you to appear too close to me, Dumbledore and your Mom are correct I have a few death marks and you being associated with me could bring ruin upon you and your family." Viviana said.

"That's bullshit, I'm an adult and I'll make my own decisions." Charlie said. "There's nothing you can do or say to change that!"

"I'm sorry Charlie." Viviana said, sorrow was evident in her face. "Charlie if things were different, well I guess if I was different I'd want things to be different between us. I'm so sorry."

Charlie couldn't move fast enough, he saw her throw something at him and out of reflex he caught it. He felt his body being sucked through a tube and the next thing he knew he was sitting in his family's kitchen. He screamed her name, and saw his Mum run into the room.

Viviana curled up in her bed and sobbed wordlessly. She knew it was better if he was out of the picture. It was one less person for the Death Eaters and Voldermort to hurt. One less person for her to love and lose. She felt her soul breaking, but she knew it was for the better.

**Okay so aside from the incredibly graphic flash back, how did everything sound? I really could use a few reviews guys. I desperately need to know what you're thinking…I see a lot of hits, but no reviews =(sad panda is sad. Please review! I hear it saves kitties and puppies from getting hit by cars and or punted. **


	6. Silver Linings

**Chapter 6: Silver Linings**

**So by the lack of reviews, I'm guessing that everyone though the story was pretty graphic. I did warn everyone that it was going to be rated M, it's a dark story but it will become more positive. I'll be focusing on Viviana and Charlie's relationship and her job for the Order and Gringotts. I watched the movie RED last night and it described my sense of humor to a T. I suggest that everyone see that movie it's pretty fracking awesome. I'm still requesting a few reviews, I see a ton of hits, but only 2 reviews, it would really make me happy if someone reviewed =) I'm willing to bribe you. This is going to be a very long chapter to make up for the lack of updates. Have a great week everyone! I own nothing but my plots, original characters and witty sayings.**

**There will be a sexual scene early on in the chapter read at your own risk**

Charlie was curled up on the floor in the kitchen of his family's home. He had finally calmed down when his mother had handed him a calming draught. All he could think about was Viviana's last expression of sorrow. He wanted to locate her and protect her from whatever Dumbledore said to push her away from him. He knew he wouldn't be able to find her without her consent but he decided that he'd still try. He saw Molly stand up from the fire, and a second later Bill walked through the flames. Molly walked out of the room so they'd have some privacy to talk.

"So, I guess it didn't go as well as you hoped." Bill said as he tried breaking the ice.

"It went pretty fucking far from good Bill. Viviana threw a portkey at me and it brought me here, she had planned it this way. She didn't trust me enough." Charlie said frowning at the ball she had tossed at him.

"Why did she portkey you out of the safe house?" Bill asked.

"I've been trying to figure it out, she was fine until she talked to Dumbledore. He must have brought up something that made her second guess herself. Then Mum went on about how she's dangerous to be around or some crock." Charlie said, he grabbed a glass and poured himself a large glass of fire whiskey.

"You think she heard what Mum said?" Bill asked, he was trying to understand why Viviana would throw Charlie's help away.

"Yeah I think that she heard the things Mum said. Needless to say Mum interfered and so did Dumbledore. It feels like my heart was ripped out Bill. I don't believe in love at first sight but I fell really hard for her." Charlie said as he downed his whiskey.

It bothered Bill because he knew that Charlie wasn't incredibly trusting to a female in his life especially after what happened between Kate and him. He sighed when he saw the anguish on Charlie's face.

"Charlie, I know you don't believe in love at first sight, but you when you fall you tend to fall hard. Mum didn't tell me what she said to you, but I gathered that she knew whatever she said would get back to Viviana. She feels like she's protecting you, and she doesn't want you to end up in the same situation that you were in with Kate." Bill said taking note in the anger in Charlie's face.

"She wouldn't do that to me! She isn't Kate, you wouldn't understand. None of you do." Charlie shouted angrily.

"What do you really know about her Charlie?" Bill asked. "What deep talks have you had with her? You've known her what 2 days?"

"I, well we didn't really, I guess she wants to better the world. She's an incredibly talented witch, very strong and focused. She isn't fond of her family and she doesn't have any siblings. She's a pure blood from an incredibly wealthy family, and she's beautiful. Stunning. Perfect." Charlie said fingering his glass.

"Charlie hasn't she told you about the accident?" Bill asked.

"What accident?" Charlie asked, he could tell that his brother was reluctant to tell him anything, and he asked again. "What accident Bill?"

"Charlie it really isn't my place to say. There was a memo in her folder when she applied to study under me." Bill said.

"What did it say?" Charlie asked.

"It was a psychological and mental profile. A few years ago she was captured with her brother Andrew. They were tortured and her brother was killed. Her parents blamed her, and forced her to sign a contract marriage. She broke it off and went to school. She was incredibly talented, and accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, the drawbacks that her previous instructors noted was her lack of compassion in dealing with the other side. She was cold, calculating and cruel. She was border lining on being slightly sadistic towards the Death Eaters. Before she was a curse breaker, she was a curse maker and she used her talents for vigilante work. She supposedly killed a bunch of the dark wizards and hit wizards that allied themselves with Lord Voldermort." Bill said. "My branch didn't know if they wanted to hire her, even though she's a genius and very gifted they wouldn't consider hiring her without a new psychological exam which she passed."

"Why was it a bad thing that she went after them? Wouldn't you avenge me if I was killed or tortured by those bastards?" Charlie said.

"You're missing my point Charlie, she's not what she seems. I like her, I'm glad she'll be working with me, but the kind of work she was doing wasn't legal. It was wet work. She didn't technically work for Gringotts in America or Italy. She was a government sanctioned killer. A wand for hire." Bill said as he pulled out her documents and file. He handed them to Charlie and stood up. "I'm here for you Charlie and I really care about you. I think she's changed for the better but understand that she's not just a sweet, smart, sexy girl. She's dangerous too. Read these copies I've made then burn them. If you want help finding her after you've read those files I'll try and help you."

Charlie looked down at the folder that Bill had handed him. He couldn't imagine her hurting anyone willingly. It was possible she was incredibly fierce and brilliant, part of him wanted to read the details and part of him wanted to pretend that she was the woman that he thought she was when they first met.

"Thanks Bill. I'll call you when I'm done reading this." Charlie said.

"Just floo over." Bill said, and with that Bill was gone from the room.

Charlie sat for hours in the kitchen pouring over her folder. There wasn't a whole lot to go on even though there were easily 300 pages written about her. Most of it was speculation on what she could have done, or did do. The only concrete facts that Charlie saw talked about her investments she made, her personal wealth, her families wealth and where she went to school. He thought he was going to give up when he saw a picture of a young man that had his arm around her shoulders. The caption stated that it was her younger brother Andrew, when he died he had been studying law. He wanted to be an international criminal profiler. It listed his death back three and a half years ago. They could have passed for twins; they had the same eyes and quirky smiles. He realized that Andrew was a couple years younger than she was but had been in the same grade in school. Viviana was two years younger than himself, and he wondered what it must have been like to lose her brother. As he kept reading her file, he noticed that most of it was blacked out. She literally didn't exist; she was a ghost up until a few months ago where she was logged working for different banks across the world, but mainly in Italy and America. Bill must have gotten a hold of a few of the original reports about Viviana facing a few Death Eaters, and the pictures weren't pretty. It was speculated, but unconfirmed that she captured an American Death Eater named Smith and used knives to crucify him to wall before she tortured him. Most of his fingers and toes were broken or simply cut off, his teeth were also missing. She had resorted to using muggle torture methods to get what she needed. It made him slightly wary because she didn't seem like someone that would be capable of committing such heinous crimes. He set the folder down in the hearth and lit it on fire until only ashes remained. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do, he wanted to see her, but he didn't want to push her further away.

Charlie grabbed a handful of floo powder and jumped in and yelled, "Shell Cottage". Before he knew it he was standing in Bill's kitchen. He heard Bill yelling at Fleur for something, and she yelled something back in French. Charlie sat down and started a pot of tea, before sighing and rubbing his hands over his face.

"So I'm assuming that you want help finding her." Bill said.

"You know what assuming does, makes an ass out of you and me." Charlie replied.

"Find who? What woman are you looking for now Bill?" Fleur asked.

"My intern. Charlie wants to find her, it's complicated." Bill said. "Charlie go shower, and I'll try and figure out how we can locate her okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." Charlie muttered as he dragged himself towards the bedroom he was living in. He quickly shucked off his clothes, and hopped into the shower. As he was washing up, he felt the runic necklace that she had given him. He also started jumping for joy, that necklace could be the key to finding her. He quickly finished showering and ran downstairs only wrapped in a towel. "Bill! I figured it out, she gave me this necklace and I'm pretty sure we can use it like a port key to find her!"

"Charlie before you come into the kitchen starkers, put some bloody clothes on." Bill said as he looked up from the meal Fleur had prepared.

"Right, give me a few seconds, I'll be right back." Charlie said. He changed into another pair of jeans, and a muggle band tee shirt, he grabbed his dragon hide coat and boots and sprinted down the hallway.

"Alright tell me about this necklace." Bill said.

"It's a rune and she said it would help me work around her wards. Like a key I suppose." Charlie said as he handed it to Bill.

"Wow, this is really powerful. I'm not sure how she did this, but it's insane. There are a few layers for protect, shelter, and shield. There's also a basic key spell, and a very complex level of unlocking and hiding charms. This is so advanced, if this is something she made on the flip she'll really be great with more complex things." Bill said nearly salivating over the rune.

"I'm glad this is so fantastically interesting Bill, but how does this help us?" Charlie asked impatiently.

"Don't be so hasty, it helps us because now that it's attuned to your blood I'll be able to basically use her blood wards to find where she is. After that we'll be able to get in." Bill said.

"When can we leave?" Charlie asked as he slipped his boots on.

"Let me tell Fleur and we'll leave right away. Oh grab two moonstones, a bottle of dittany, four edelweiss buds, and powdered unicorn horn. Oh and some rowan, ash and myrtle." Bill said.

"Um, alright." Charlie said. "Locater spell and what else?"

"Directional map, and I'm making a potion that will make us find her with our senses." Bill said. "Mix the edelweiss, dittany and unicorn horn together. Then grind up the rowan, ash and myrtle. Add them together let them turn into a liquid and drop the moonstones in, stir twice clockwise and five times clock wise. Do that twice and we'll have our map and enhanced senses."

"Where the hell did you find that?" Charlie asked as he prepared the moonstones. "I don't remember ever learning that."

"Well it's not a proven potion or spell but it works." Bill said. "Honest, it won't be like that time you went bald because of the increased shaving spell I messed up."

"Great vote of confidence Bill. Really sporting." Charlie said. He watched the moonstones suck in all of the liquid and glow a faint blue color. "Are the supposed to glow blue?"

"Yep, it's done. Slip it into your pocket and we can depart." Bill said. "Fleur I'll be home either late tonight or tomorrow. Je'taime ma cherie." (I love you my cherished one)

"J'adore vous mon petit chou." Fleur called out. (I love you my little cabbage.)

"Charlie slip the rune into your pocket as well. It should help locate her." Bill said. As soon as Charlie slipped the rune into his pocket he grabbed his hand and they were transported to a lush green field. "Weird, she should be here."

"She's here, I remember that tree line. The house she has is unplottable, and it's impossible to find." Charlie said.

Viviana looked up from the kitchen sink, and saw Charlie and his brother Bill wandering in the back yard. She felt a sudden rush of anger, she had sent him home to be safe, not to find her again. How the hell did he find her? She then remembered the charmed rune that she had given him, she'd never asked for it back. **Damnit, this is not what I need right now! I need to separate him from my life; it'll be safer for him.**_ Are you sure it's not because you actually like him and don't want him to get closer to you?_** Shut up! It's not about that.**_ Or could it be because you're afraid he'll actually get to know you, and your fucked up past._ Viviana wiped her hands on a towel and casually walked outside. She uncast the shield and blood charms and Bill and Charlie looked stunned to see the cottage pop up before their eyes.

"I thought I sent you home." Viviana said coldly.

"You did, but I wanted to be with you. I can help you, I'm not sure what pissed you off so badly that you shoved me away but I'm much more resilient than that." Charlie said. He saw how angry she looked and started walking towards her. "You don't have to do everything on your own, accept some help."

"I'm strong enough on my own Charlie. I don't need you to baby-sit me, and keep me locked up like a bird." Viviana said. She looked over at Bill before she said, "I know you helped him get here. How did you do it?"

"Do you mind if we come in?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, I just made some tea, come inside and we can talk." Viviana said. As they walked in she recast all of her enchantments, and blood wardings. She levitated three glasses and a pitcher of peach tea into the living room before she sat down. "Alright so what do you two want?"

"I want you to reconsider my offer to help you." Charlie said. " I know you were worried about something either my Mum said or Dumbledore; but I want to help you."

"Charlie there are a few things that bothered me, not worried, bothered. You don't know enough about me, or what I've done. What's been done to me, that shaped me, they aren't pleasant." Viviana said. She was staring out the window frowning. She wasn't ready to have this conversation about her past.

"I'm going to leave you two. Can I use your fireplace to floo out of here?" Bill asked.

"Sure." Viviana waved her hands a fire lit. "Just jump in and think of where you want to be. No floo powder necessary."

"Thanks, see you Monday." Bill said. He turned and looked at Charlie before saying, "Be patient."

"Charlie what I'm going to tell you, it's really messed up. It's really screwed up, but it's a part of my past. If you want to leave after I fill you in I'll understand." Viviana said. She looked over at Charlie and noticed him smiling. "Why are you grinning?"

"I'm glad that you're letting me hear your story." Charlie said.

"No interrupting okay? I need to spit out everything at once." Viviana said. She watched Charlie nod before she took in a deep breath and started recanting her past. "A few years ago, I was actively being pursed by the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. My brother Andrew just turned 14, and he was living with me in Chicago. Our parents had been very wealthy, and set us up with enough money to live very comfortably or even run a third world country. We decided that we'd buy a bunch of property across the globe and have safe homes set up in case someone came after us. Everything was going fine, he was studying to be an international profiler, he had all of the right connections and it would have been a perfect dream. I was studying heavily into runic translations, and spell work. My parents wanted me to pick out a future husband and start to live the life they wanted for me. I knew I never wanted to be a trophy wife, so I rebelled. It was summer time, and we were enjoying our time together, I only had another year before I would graduate and I wanted to make sure that I would be able to do anything that I wanted without my family interfering. I came home one day, to find my brother being tortured by the Dark Lord himself. A woman named Bellatrix Lestrange was with him, and they separated us. She tortured my brother while the Dark Lord tortured me. I was a virgin up until that day. He used the cruciatis curse on me, and raped me over and over. He had Bellatrix do the same thing to my brother; they made a two-way mirror and had us watch each other being tortured. I got free, and tried to rescue him but Bellatrix murdered him before I could get to him. I went home and my parents blamed me for causing his death, I followed their stupid plan to get married and be some doll on Adam's arm. He was abusive as well and I let him beat me, and rape me because I felt like I deserved it. One day I came across a picture of my brother and a key to our accounts. I left my parents that day, finished school and joined a group of hit wizards. I won't let to you, I did a lot of things that weren't very nice. I tortured, killed and the worst part is I really enjoyed it. I've won more duels against Death Eaters than I can imagine, killed their co-conspirators. The last duel I was in was with the Dark Lord himself. It was a draw and I escaped. I moved around a lot to keep him from finding me, he has a real hard on where I'm concerned."

Charlie looked over at her in awe. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling, what she had been through. Her life had been ripped away from her. He saw tears in her eyes, sadness and grief. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up until she was cradled her in his arms.

"Viv, it's okay I'm not here to judge you, I understand." Charlie said.

"How can you understand? I've done so many terrible things, murdering people, torturing them for fun. I was classified as mentally unstable because of the crimes I committed." Viviana said. She looked into Charlie's beautiful eyes and caressed his face. "Please, why?"

"I can understand that you were tortured, raped, and treated like a piece of property until you made your own way. I promise to protect you and help you. I promise." Charlie said as he gently kissed her lips.

Viviana felt his lips against hers and she felt him lift her up and carry her to her bedroom. She felt him unzip her dress and as it fell to the floor she watched his eyes light up in anticipation. Charlie caressed her face, and slipped his hands to her waist.

He felt her unbuckle his jeans and slide them off of his hips. He pressed himself against her and he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he pressed her against the wall. Their lips were pressed firmly against each other's, and he could feel himself starting to get aroused. He unclasped her bra and let it fall to the ground she was now only clad in an emerald green silk pair of panties. He laid her gently on the bed never letting his lips leave hers. He pulled off his shirt and climbed on top of her, caressing and kissing his way down to her breasts. He slipped one of her rosy nipples into his mouth and began lightly sucking and biting on the firm bud. He felt her back arch as she let out a breathy moan. He watched as her hand slid down to his boxers and felt her hand firmly grasp his cock. She began slowly pumping him up and down and he shuddered at the warmth that was growing. He slid his boxers off and she pushed him down on the bed. He watched with anticipation as she slid down his body and slipped his length into her mouth.

Charlie threw his head back as she deep throated him, moaning her name. He watched her head bob up and down his length as she stroked his cock with her hand.

"Viv, Merlin please keep doing that, oh god, that's it, fuck." Charlie moaned he felt her take every inch of him into her throat, he had a wonderful view of her beautiful tits bouncing gently as she sucked him off. He felt her tongue swirl up and down his cock, fully deep throating him and it felt amazing. "Fuck I'm going to come!"

Viviana pumped him slowly into her mouth as he came. She enjoyed the feeling of his cock unloading every ounce of his cum into her. She swallowed before she sat up, smiling she looked down at Charlie.

"Did you enjoy that?" Viviana asked lightly.

"God woman, that was bloody amazing." Charlie said, his eyes were filled with lust as he flipped her onto her back. He kissed her neck, her breasts and slid down between her legs. He could smell her delicious scent and he saw a wet spot on her silk panties. "I see you're quite wet."

"Well, I'm blaming that on you." Viviana said.

"Let me help you." Charlie said as he pulled them off of her body. He saw her shaved pussy and began slowly stroking her slit. He saw a few drops of her arousal drip down and he scooped them up and stuck his fingers into her mouth. "Naughty girl."

Charlie watched as she licked and sucked his fingers provocatively. As he slipped his middle finger into her dripping core he used his thumb to stimulate and tease her clit. He knelt down and began slowly licking, and sucking on her engorged clit until she began screaming his name. He began to draw small, fast circle in her tight, dripping pussy as he began to lap, swirl and flick her clit with his tongue. In seconds he felt her clamp down and she finally came.

"Charlie! Oh god!" Viviana screamed. She watched Charlie between her legs, and watched as he slowly pulled his finger out of her and licked off the remainder of her juices. He crawled up her body until his stiffing cock rubbed against her quivering pussy. "You really are amazing."

"I'm glad you enjoyed that." Charlie said as he leaned down and kissed her, he felt himself come to full attention and he slowly rubbed his cock against her wet core. He felt her shiver every time his length came in contact with her pussy. He began kissing and nibbling along her neck and he felt her arch her back.

Viviana moaned when Charlie lightly bit her neck. She felt the thick head of his cock press against her tight hole. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him into a deep kiss, and she felt the tip of him slowly press tighter against her hole.

Charlie started grinding against her, her dripping core lubricated the thick head of his cock and he slowly slid up and down her slit. He positioned himself directly against her tight hole and slowly pushed himself inside. He had just popped his head in and immediately felt just how tight she was, she felt like a virgin. He looked for any sign of discomfort or fear and he saw her eyes heavily lidded with lust and anticipation.

"Do you want me to do this? We can stop if you want to." Charlie said, he still had just the tip of him inside her and he was relishing the warmth and wetness that she was giving him.

"Charlie, don't stop, god don't stop." Viviana said as she slowly lifted her hips so he could slide easier into her. She felt how full his cock made her feel, just the tip was inside her and he was stretching her out. She had never felt such a large head inside of her. "Please, don't stop."

"I'll be as gentle as I can, I don't want to hurt you." Charlie said as he slowly slid another inch inside of her. He didn't see any pain in her eyes, and he felt her leg wrap around his waist. As he slid inch after inch inside of her he shuddered when he was shoved in all the way to the hilt. He felt himself bottom out. "Fuck, you're so tight, and wet."

"I wondered what it would feel like, having every inch of you buried in me." Viviana said as he slowly pulled out and pushed himself back in. She felt like she was filling up and she also felt complete. "You can go faster, I promise I won't break."

With that Charlie started pistoning himself in and out of her faster and faster. He grunted as he slammed himself fully into her, he heard her moan. Then an immense wave of pleasure ripped through his body as she felt her walls pulsate and clamp around him. He could tell that she had come, and he enjoyed watching her eyes roll back as she moaned his name. He could feel a familiar tightening in his balls and he pulled her closer to him bit down into her neck.

"Viv, I'm going to cum. God your pussy is so wet and tight I'm going to cum. That's it baby, I'm cumming!" Charlie moaned as he felt a warm rush come over him and he felt his cum pump forcefully into her pussy. He gently collapsed on top of her and slowly pulled himself out of her. He saw his cum slowly drip out of her wet pussy onto the bed sheets.

"Shit, that was amazing." Viviana said as she leaned in and kissed him squarely on the mouth. She waved her hands across both of them, and the bed.

"Are you taking a potion to prevent pregnancy?" Charlie asked.

"A little late to ask that, but yeah, I've been on it for a long time." Viviana said smiling over at him. Charlie was running his calloused fingers across her stomach and breasts. "Geeze are you ready to go again?"

"I probably could, but I have a feeling you're slightly sore." Charlie said with a cheeky grin.

"Honey, that's definitely and understatement, you're very large." Viviana said as she kissed him again. "Wanna take a shower?"

"I do." Charlie said as he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "You're also very tight, and I really want to bend you over in the shower and make you scream my name again."

"Charlie! You're terrible!" Viviana said as she got off the bed and stretched. She bent down and gave him a very nice view before she turned around and looked at his already hardening member. "Wow, I think we're going to wear each other out. We should shower and start to plan how we're going to find an apartment."

"Yeah, we probably will." Charlie said as he stood up, he walked over to her and picked her up and pushed her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he positioned himself against her pussy again. He slid himself up and into her, and found out that she was dripping wet again. "I love that you get so wet, it makes this a lot easier."

With that Charlie began thrusting deeply into her body, before pulling out and setting her on the floor.

"Charlie Weasley! You're so incredibly horny!" Viviana said as she smiled up at him. "Come on get into the shower."

"Babe, I'm going to make you walk funny from all of the shagging I plan on doing with you. I'll find an apartment and we can move you in today all right? Go shower, and I'll floo Bill and see if he knows of anything." Charlie said as he smacked her ass lightly.

"Okay, sounds like a plan, would you like to get dinner after we're done showering?" Viviana asked.

"Sure that sounds great we need to keep our energy up." Charlie said. He heard Viviana turn on the shower before he got dressed and went to the fireplace. He called out for Bill and was answered instead by Dumbledore. "Albus, is Bill there?"

"Actually yes he is, I did want to speak to you. I take it you and Ms. Valentine made up and are looking for a suitable place for her to live?" Albus asked.

"Yes we made up, and we're looking for a place to live." Charlie said.

"You plan on living with her then?" Albus asked his eyes were lightly twinkling.

"Yes it makes more sense for us to live together, we can protect each other that way." Charlie said.

"I'm sure, that and I'm sure there are other benefits of living together as well." Albus said as he smiled openly with Charlie. "She is a lovely young woman, with considerable talents."

"She is brilliant, and I'm glad she's giving me a chance to show her that I can help her." Charlie said.

"Well I did find a few places, did she mention if she wanted a house, town home or apartment?" Albus asked again.

"A town home or house would be the best." Charlie said.

"Well I have two places in London, one in Scotland, and one right outside or Bristol that would fit your needs, is there one that you'd prefer?" Albus said.

"I'll discuss it with Viviana, I'm not sure what she would prefer. She starts work Monday." Charlie said.

"I think I'll have better work for her at the school if she would be willing." Albus said.

"Albus? I thought I heard your voice. How are you doing?" Viviana asked. She walked into the living room as she toweled her hair dry. "Did you find a place I could purchase?"

"I'm doing quite well, I should apologize for the manner in which we spoke as of last. I have found a few places that you could live, more importantly I come offering you a different job. I'm somewhat short staffed at Hogwarts, and I'd like it if you came and worked with me there." Albus said. "Would you mind if I flooed over to your home now and we discussed this?"

"Thank you for your apology, I appreciate it. An offer to teach at Hogwarts is more than I would have thought possible. Floo over I'll prepare a light lunch." Viviana said. She heard the faint pop of the fire, and Albus suddenly reappeared. "Please make yourself comfortable, I'll grab a few things from the kitchen."

"Thank you for your hospitality, there is much to discuss." Albus said.

"Charlie would you mind helping me in the kitchen?" Viviana asked.

"That's fine." Charlie said as he followed her into kitchen. He wrapped his arms around her waist smiling into her hair. "So what did you want to discuss?"

"If he offers me a job at Hogwarts should I take it?" Viviana asked.

"Yes you probably should, it would be safer for you, and you could continue on with your pursuit of knowledge." Charlie said.

"I wouldn't see you as much, we'd be living far apart." Viviana said, she opened the fridge and pulled out some fresh fruit tarts, and another pitcher of tea.

"We would work around it, I'd see you on the weekend." Charlie said.

Viviana walked into the living room with the food and the pitcher of tea. She wasn't sure that moving to Scotland to work at Hogwart's would be the best idea, she would be better protected but she felt like she would be letting down Bill and herself. She sighed lightly, and set everything down on the coffee table.

"What would be required of me if I decided to take your proposition at Hogwarts?" Viviana asked.

"I'd like to you help teach and train students to learn, master and identify curses, and block them." Albus said. "You would be an elective class, I know of a few students that would greatly benefit you as a teacher."

"Is this really about me training Harry, Hermione and Ron? I mean isn't it odd that you're hiring me half way through a school year?" Viviana asked.

"To a degree, I've already hired a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but I think you could offer them a different perspective on the war that's coming. You would be teaching them a class more physical and supplemental than a normal class." Albus said. "I'd be willing to pay you quite well, and you would have countless references you could use to further your own education. You would have your own chambers, set up like a town home I think you would find it quite comfortable. If you would prefer to live and work near Gringotts we could arrange that too."

"Is there another reason that you would prefer to have me at the school?" Viviana asked.

"There will be a Tri-Wizard Tournament next year and I could use someone with your obvious talents. It would be a great personal favor if you decided to join me at Hogwarts." Albus said.

"Alright, I'll do it, the World Cup is coming soon and I have a few things to do before the rest of the school year starts, can I move today?" Viviana asked.

"That's perfect, here's your contract, and you'll see that you're paid monthly. There's an early sign on bonus enclosed, and a few other possible bonus' as the year goes on. I will need help with some of the wardings, and I'd hoped that you would consent to help work them." Albus said.

"Okay well I'll see you later this week Albus, thank you again." Viviana said.

"Congratulations Professor Valentine, it's been a pleasure. Charlie enjoy your break too, I'm sure I'll be seeing you sooner rather than later." Albus said before popping back into the fire and disappearing in a poof of red smoke.

Viviana read over her contract, it stated that she would work for Hogwarts and earn a monthly stipend of 20,000 galleons, and an early sign on bonus of 50,000 galleons. She whistled silently, knowing that this was a very large sum, not the most she had ever made, but enough to know that she was one of the highest paid teachers at the school. She was required to teach any student that was interested in her course work, and it seemed like it was set up as a pre-Auror class. Intrusion, rune work, physical alterations, hand to hand, spell casting, binding and logic were all worked into her class. She sat down and looked over at Charlie, she saw him smiling at her.

"What?" Viviana asked.

"Well I used to fantasize about shagging someone on a desk at Hogwarts. Want to give it go, I'd love to bed you over your desk and have my wicked way with you." Charlie asked cheekily, he walked over to her and picked her up.

"Honestly Charlie, I think you're more concerned about spreading my legs in every position. You're one horny bastard, I wonder if I'll be able to keep up with your advances." Viviana said before lightly kissing him on the lips. "Would you mind coming with me to London? I have to pick up some new clothes I ordered, some school supplies and a few other things."

"Mmmmm I suppose I could be persuaded to do that, what's in it for me?" Charlie said as he pressed his lips against Viviana's jaw and neck. He began slowly nibbling along her neck.

"I'll buy you lunch, and then we can visit Hogwarts and see what else I need to bring." Viviana said. She watched Charlie pout lightly. "Or you could go home and I'll call you when I'm done."

"Mum wants me home for dinner anyways, would you like to come over?" Charlie asked.

"I guess that works, what time should I meet you at the Burrow?" Viviana asked.

"Plan coming over around 6:30-7:00 okay?" Charlie said.

"Okay handsome, get going so I can get ready, I'll see you tonight." Viviana said as she kissed Charlie passionately.

"See you tonight beautiful." Charlie said as he kissed her back.

As soon as Charlie left Viviana swept her wand across the room and put everything away in its proper place. She straightened up the kitchen, and bathroom and grabbed a large leather purse out of the closet. She charmed it to hold a ton of clothing and various articles that she would need, and also put a charm to make it lighter than air. She put all of her clothes into the bag, and the rest of things she was used to carrying. She pulled out a dark charcoal dress that had slits up to her thighs, and slid on a pair of black leggings. She found her black dragon hide boots and pulled them on over the leggings. The dress itself had long sleeves that belled out from the elbow, which made holstering her wand a lot easier. She slipped another holster to her other arm and attached a knife to it, and slipped two throwing knives into her boots. She felt very prepared as she apparited into London. It felt so much colder in London, a brisk wind swirled the snow around the street, and the sun did little to give any warmth to the people walking up and down the street.

Viviana crossed the street and entered the Leaky Cauldron and slipped out the back without being noticed. She tapped the bricks and soon entered the alley. She knew she needed a few skeins of parchment, new quills, and a few books that Flourish and Blotts carried. She wanted a new broom, and decided on heading to Quality Quidditch as well. When she walked into the shop she saw that it was packed, the newest broom the Firebolt was sitting proudly on display. She walked over to the broom counter and asked to speak to the owner.

"Good afternoon miss, how can I be of service?" The shopkeeper asked.

"I was wondering if you made custom brooms." Viviana asked.

"We can on request, they are a bit pricey though." The shopkeeper asked.

"I want the Firebolt, but I need better braking capabilities, invisibility and a few charms worked into it that I've created myself. I also need it to be coated in titanium with a titanium core." Viviana said.

"I don't want to patronize you, but that alone could cost twice what the broom sells for." The shopkeeper said. "If you're serious, I'll be happy to introduce you to broom maker himself."

"Please do, my name is Viviana Valentine, I'm very serious about having a custom made broom." Viviana said. She watched the shopkeeper walk into the back, and a young woman walked out with a young man in tow. They both had chocolate brown eyes and flaxen colored hair.

"So you're the one wanting a custom made broom?" The man asked her. "I'm Evan and this is Elise, we mainly work on basic additions to any broom, but it seems like you need a complete overhaul. What exactly do you need done to your broom?"

"It already has an unbreakable Braking charm, I need it to be impervious to all of the elements, and I have a few charms that need to be put into the core of the broom as well. I want the handle to be coated in titanium, a titanium core and I'll want better navigation, steering and agility." Viviana said as she handed the charms over to Evan. "The charms are very sensitive and need to be put three inches apart from each other. I'll need the broom to be shortened slightly and I need increased speed."

"These are very unique requests, the charms themselves will make the user nearly indestructible, is there a reason why you need them?" Evan asked. His sister Elise was writing down all of the requirements that Viviana asked for.

"I might be in danger now and then, and it'll help me complete the tasks ahead." Viviana told them. "One of the charms will be used for invisibility and I need that one at the very center of the brooms mass, it's imperative that it's placed correctly or it won't function properly."

"I see, luckily we're slow right now, so we should be able to finish this by the end of the week." Elise said smiling at the prospect of a new project. "Is there a way we can reach you when it's finished?"

"Owl me at Hogwarts, I'll be staying there." Viviana said.

"Interesting. Okay, and how would you like to pay?" Elise asked.

"I'll pay half up front, and the rest you will receive when the work is done. Does this seem fair to you both?" Viviana asked.

"Extremely." Evan answered.

"Well here's a cashiers check, how much will it cost?" Viviana asked.

"For the finished project it'll cost about 1,000 galleons." Evan said. "Will that be a problem?"

"Nope, clear as crystal. Here's the check, I look forward to hearing from you later this week. Enjoy your holiday." Viviana said before leaving the shop. She headed towards Flourish and Blotts and found a few different types of parchment that she needed. She also bought a set of quills, a few sets of ink, one in particular that disguised the writer's handwriting. She also found a few books that disclosed close quarter wand combat, and silent spell casting. She hoped that her students were willing to train as hard as she did. After she purchased everything that she needed she apparited into muggle London to find new clothes. It was nearly time to head to the Burrow, and she grabbed some fresh bread, pastries and a few bottles of wine.

The swirling sensation of apparition took over her, and she landed among the chickens in the front yard. She saw Harry looking up into the sky as the snow fell around him. He turned and saw her arrive and walked over to her.

"Hello Harry, are you doing okay?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah, I wish everyone would back off a bit, I feel like I'm being smothered." Harry said.

"Well I can understand that. I remember when my brother was your age, and all he wanted was to be an adult. Remember that you won't be a child forever, and soon you will have to be an adult and be responsible for not only yourself but those around you." Viviana said, and she saw him frown lightly. "By the way this is for you, I heard that you are a fantastic seeker."

"Wow thanks!" Harry said as he looked at new gloves. "I saw these in a Quidditch catalogue. They have an anti slip spell, and they keep your hands warm or cold depending on the season. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome. I thought you could use something fun. I'm glad that you're playing, I played as a Seeker when I was younger." Viviana said.

"You look very young, how old are you?" Harry asked.

"Too old for you to ask me out." Viviana said smiling at his faint blush. "I'm 19 Harry."

"Hey, you're only six years older than me, if we had been to the same school I would've met you." Harry said.

"Maybe if you had been born in America." Viviana said. "Well should we go inside and present Mrs. Weasley with a few gifts I picked up? I knew treacle tart was your favorite; this is for you to take back to school. You might be surprised with who you meet when you get to school."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it. What did you mean about who I'll meet at school?" Harry asked.

"You'll see when you get there. Remember to bring a good pair of running shoes and some athletic clothing." Viviana said. With that she walked into the Burrow and was greeted by Charlie's warm embrace. "I see you must have missed me."

"I sure have, Mum already asked when you were coming over, evidently you're expected over here every Sunday for dinner." Charlie said. "She really took a shine to you."

"She's only met me once, I'm sure she feels like I'm a lost duck or something." Viviana said.

"Have you told Bill that you're resigning before you even started working with him?" Charlie asked.

"Uh, no. Between the moments of me shopping and you leaving I really didn't have the time, I figured that I'd talk to him about it tonight." Viviana said.

"I think he expected you to find a better job anyways, he kept going on and on about your qualifications and how you would make a lot more other places." Charlie said. "How much do you make? I mean I know Bill makes a decent amount."

"Well technically I don't have to work, my family is one of the wealthiest in the world; but I chose to work towards something that gives me a sense of fulfillment. I've taken jobs where I've made close to 100,000 galleons for a weeks worth of time, I've also had jobs where I get 10,000 galleons per day. Those were the shadier types of jobs, but the actual ones I've taken on paper I make a very nice sum. I've donated a lot of my money, and spent it on those who actually have need of it. Speaking of spending money, I'll be at Hogwarts for Christmas, but I thought it'd be nice if I saw your family then too. Would you mind?" Viviana said. _This is the awkward silence after I realize that he thinks I'm probably stuck up, and only work because I have nothing else better to do in my life. _

"That's a lot of money Viv, I knew you were well off, but that's almost a little bit ridiculous. Mum already mentioned you stopping by for the holiday's I was hoping you'd say yes." Charlie said as they walked through the Burrow and into the kitchen. He noticed that his father and mother had expanded their kitchen to accommodate for Harry, Hermione, Fleur and Viviana. Everyone was sitting down waiting for them to join them for dinner.

"I'm sorry that I'm late, I brought some bread, pastries and some wine. I hope everyone enjoys them." Viviana said as she sat down next to Harry. She opened the three different types of wine and set everything else down where it would fit. Everyone smiled at her, but it made her feel uncomfortable. Mrs. Weasley was looking back and forth between Charlie and herself.

"You're not late dear, we all just sat down. Thank you again for providing us with something tasty, it's very kind of you." Mrs. Weasley said.

"Harry, do you feel the tense pressure in the room?" Viviana whispered.

"Kind of, before you walked in we were talking about the school year. Sirius Black has tried unsuccessfully to get into the castle and murder me." Harry said. "Mrs. Weasley is worried that I'm not being a 'good boy' and remaining out of harms way."

"Don't worry, you'll be well protected, I promise." Viviana said. "I have an announcement to make, I have recently been asked a very personal favor to resign from Gringotts and take a post elsewhere in Europe."

There were some shocked looks, especially from Bill and Mrs. Weasley. Charlie smiled to himself and everyone stared at Viviana.

"Well, that's unfortunate. I was really looking forward to seeing what you were made of." Bill said with a frown. "Who will keep me in line at work?"

"Zat would be me, or did 'ou forget zat I work wis' 'ou also?" Fleur stated.

"Beautiful Fleur, I doubt anyone could forget your presence, and I was only kidding." Bill said. "So where are you working?"

"I'll be taking a teaching position at Hogwarts. I'll be supplementing the dark arts course, with more physical work, it's basically a junior auror's class." Viviana said and she smiled when she saw all of the Weasley's children, Harry and Hermione's faces light up. "It's going to be offered to anyone in the 3rd year and higher, but I'm letting you know now it's not going to be easy. My classes will be very demanding and I won't tolerate any slacking."

"This sounds fun, are you sure you can handle all of us?" Fred asked.

"Fred, I personally guarentee if you're able to successfully prank me while I am at school I'll help you plan pranks on the rest of the faculty. With that being said, I highly doubt you'll be able to handle me." Viviana said with a laugh.

"Well now you've done it, they won't rest until they've beaten you." Charlie said.

The rest of dinner went very well, pretty soon everyone was stuffed with the 2nd and 3rd helpings that Mrs. Weasley insisted everyone needed. Viviana stood up and helped her with clearing the table and shrinking the kitchen back to size. She noticed that Mrs. Weasley kept looking at her like she wanted to say something. Finally she did.

"Viviana I understand that you're really going to be busy with teaching and I'm sure that's not the only thing that Dumbledore will have you do. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I wanted to know if you'd want to come to New Years dinner. It's nothing incredibly fancy, but we thought you might be interested." Molly said.

"That would be wonderful, I'd love to attend. I wanted to offer the use of my house in London; I think we'd be able to fit everyone in very comfortably. It is in a muggle neighborhood but it's going to waste sitting there and no one living in it." Viviana said.

"That would be nice, not having to double up on the rooms, sure we can plan something out the closer it gets to the day. I did want to speak to you about Charlie. Is everything going well? He seems completely taken with you, and as his mother I wanted to make sure that you're both on the same page." Molly said, her tone was very even but it was also very carefully measured.

"Molly, I'm enjoying the time I spend with Charlie. I wouldn't break his heart, he keeps me balanced and he's honest. I can't imagine a man I'd rather have in my life." Viviana said.

"Thank god he finally found a girl worth keeping. I've been wondering when you would show up in his life. I absolutely hated his last girl friend, but here you are. Perfect as can be. Welcome to the family." Molly said as she hugged Viviana tightly to her. "Well I wouldn't want you to be late, do you need to floo to Hogwarts?"

"I plan on using apparition, and walking up to the castle. Charlie is going to help me settle in. I have to meet the rest of the staff tomorrow and get my lesson plan hammered out." Viviana said as she slid her hands into a pair of gloves.

"Okay well you two have fun, I'm sure I'll see you soon. Charlie would you please come in here?" Molly called.

Charlie walked into the kitchen and smiled at Viviana. She was lovely, the dress hugged her body perfectly and he loved the luscious curves of her svelte body. He heard her whisper that she would meet him outside.

"Charlie, I really like her. She seems very down to earth and passionate. With that being said I hope you two are being careful. I want grand children but I don't want them that soon, do you understand me?" Molly said.

"Yes Mum, we're being careful. She's a very wonderful woman and I plan on treating her with the respect and honor that she deserves." Charlie said.

While Charlie and Molly were talking in the kitchen, Viviana stood under the moonlight enjoying the glow on her skin. Harry walked outside and walked over to her.

"So will I be calling you Professor Valentine?" Harry asked jokingly.

"Only when we're in class, otherwise you can always call me by my first name." Viviana said. "Will you be staying with the Weasley's the rest of your break?"

"Nope I head back with Ron and Hermione tonight, we have some school work to do." Harry said.

"Alright well don't be afraid to stop by, my door will always be open. You can all start training before break ends if you want." Viviana said.

"Sounds great, I'll stop by tomorrow when we arrive and are settled in." Harry said before saying, "I'm glad you're coming to Hogwarts, it'll be nice to have someone else I know."

"I'm glad you feel that way Harry, you have a lot on your plate but there are people out there that are willing to take on some of the burden. You're not alone. Never question that." Viviana said. Charlie walked out and slipped his hand into hers. "Are you ready Charlie?"

"Yep, just got a sex talk from Mum, can we get out of here?" Charlie said still blushing a bright red.

"Wow, are you kidding me?" Viviana asked. "Your Mom does realize that you probably had sex during your stay at Hogwarts right?"

"Yeah, we're not going into my sex life, are you ready to leave?" Charlie asked.

"Yep, lets make like a tree and get the fuck out of here." Viviana said as she slipped her hand into Charlie's.


	7. Irish Poker

**Chapter 7: Irish Poker**

**I decided to do two updates, considering I've been gone for so long. Thank you all for your patience. I'll be really busy this week so I hope this chapter keeps you busy. Have a great week and please remember to review, I'd love to know what my readers think. **

They both popped out of the Burrow's front yard and into Hogsmeade. When they arrived Dumbledore was already waiting for both of them.

"Ah, you've both made it just on time. Shall we head up to the castle?" Dumbledore asked. "Charlie I'd ask that you wait for me in my office there are a few matters I wish to discuss with each of you privately. I enjoy peppermint humbugs."

"Sure. Alright Viv, I'll stop by when I'm done talking to Dumbledore." Charlie said before walking towards Dumbledore's office. He wondered why Dumbledore wanted to speak to both of them separately, probably because of the Tri-Wizard Tournament that would be played at Hogwarts next year, it seemed like that made the most sense.

"So, did you find everything you needed to start teaching in a few weeks?" Dumbledore asked.

"I think so, I still have to work out the rest of the lesson plans, but I have a firm grasp about what I want to teach." Viviana said. "Do you think the students know how difficult a class this will be? I plan on running them to the bone in the morning, and doing lessons in the afternoon."

"I think they'll be able to handle it, I don't know how many of the students will apply for your class. I'm sure Harry, Ron and Hermione will join, and we'll have to see who else decides to join in as well." Dumbledore said. "Are you going to separate by class level?"

"I don't think so, since it's 3rd years and up, I'll mix them together, after all in real life they won't pair off just because of knowledge or age." Viviana said.

"That's very wise, you really will be an asset here at school. I wondered where I should set up your office and your living quarters. Because you never went to school here it made it very difficult. You show both the thirst of knowledge befitting a Ravenclaw, and the bravery and honor of a Gryffindor. There's a tower located between the two that will both serve as a classroom and your own living quarters. Shall we depart?" Dumbledore asked politely.

Viviana followed through the main part of the castle and passed into a huge staircase lined hallway. When she looked up she saw countless stairways moving around and shifting. She felt very small looking up and around the hallway, she saw dozens of pictures smiling, waving and speaking to one another. She hadn't been in such an obviously magical building since she finished her last year at her curse breaking school. Hogwarts was significantly bigger, and definitely had more areas for her to explore. As she followed Dumbledore up the staircases in awe they finally got to the 6th floor. They stood in front of a large antique mirror that had a beautiful silver frame. She felt a sudden chill pass her spine and she could swear she heard faint whispers emanating from the mirror itself.

"If you would touch the mirror, and add a drop of your blood it will be your own gateway to your class room and living quarters." Dumbledore said.

Dumbledore watched Viviana prick her finger with a dagger, and smear it across the mirror. The mirror rippled and gave a happy sigh. When the mirror opened up, there was a considerably large classroom set up, windows lined the room and the entire roof was a glass skylight. He knew that she would enjoy the sunlight that filtered in. There was a spiral staircase off to the side that presumably led to her quarters.

"Do you like the room?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's perfect, and quite breath taking. Thank you very much Headmaster." Viviana said.

"You're welcome to call me Albus, you're not a student but an equal." Dumbledore said. "I'll leave you to settle in, Charlie and I have some business to attend to, I believe the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be stopping by fairly soon."

"Okay, thank you, I'm going to start warding this room, I have to make sure the glass is unbreakable, and other protective spells are in place. I'll get rid of the desks and put in tables around the room. I'll need a lot of space for dueling, and other physical tests." Viviana said. She watched Dumbledore leave the room, before she smiled and moved her bags towards the spiral staircase. Before she could move the desks, she heard someone knock on the wall next to the entrance. Before her stood a man with sandy blond hair and a good-natured smile.

"Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts." The man said. "I'm Professor Remus Lupin, and I'll be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. You must be Viviana Valentine. I've heard a great deal about you."

Viviana walked over to him and stuck out her hand. She saw a fleeting look of shock pass over his face, and once again he smiled.

"Yes, I am Viviana Valentine, I don't really know what to call my class yet, but I will be teaching the more physical aspects of Defensive and Offensive magic to the students." Viviana said.

"Would you like help re-arranging your classroom?" Remus asked.

"I'd really appreciate it, I think I'm going to transfigure the desks into long benches and tables and have them against the walls and next to the windows, I need a lot of space for what I'll be teaching. I also need to configure a set of dueling mats, and some practice dummies." Viviana said. "If you could tackle the mats, and dummies I will take care of the rest."

They both began working their magic, Remus swept his wand across the room and the floor became stabilized with mats, dummies, and it started to resemble a muggle gym over a classroom. Viviana swept her arms up and transfigured the desks into long tables and rows of benches. She also began casting unbreakable charms on the windows, and made the walls line with rubber and padding. She colored the stone a light sunny yellow and the glass ceiling she gave a light blue tint to resemble working in the outdoors. When they were done she smiled at their handy work and conjured a pitcher of iced tea. She handed Remus a glass of iced tea and sat down on the floor. She noticed that he had a few lightly colored scars across his neck and arms, and she wondered where he got them.

"I appreciate the help, it makes my job a lot easier when there's someone to help me out." Viviana said. "How are the students? Do they seem eager to learn, or are they bored with what we can teach them?"

"For the most part they seem eager, and attentive. You will find a few of them more willing to skive off their lessons, or pull pranks but they are a good group of kids. Did you get your list of whom will be joining your class?" Remus asked.

"Yes and no, I should be getting their owls sometime this week, although I don't know how many will actually want to participate. It's going to be a tough course, physically and mentally demanding. I plan on having physical training in the mornings before their classes, and lessons in the afternoon." Viviana said.

"Well that will be time consuming, would you mind if I joined you for the physical parts?" Remus asked blushing lightly when he realized how his statement could be taken.

"Well, if you're talking about running and calisthenics you're more than welcome to join in. Maybe an extra set of hands would be useful." Viviana said as she lightly laughed at his play on words. "How do you think they'll adapt to the rigors of physical activity?"

"It will be interesting, there really isn't a course that's center on the physical aspect of magic." Remus said. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I'll start them off slow, but slowly I want to build them up to where they can each run a 10k, and go through an obstical course with only their wits, wands and mental fortitude." Viviana said.

"Where did you receive your training? I know you're not originally from Europe, I'm guessing you're American." Remus said.

"I received my training in America, and learned the special ops division of my training through the government. My background is on the gray side, but I did it well and excelled at it." Viviana said. She watched Remus' eyes narrow slightly, and he was studying her with a deep intensity. "Does that bother you?"

"Bother me no, make me curious yes. You can't be older than 20, and yet I sense that you can tell me more about operations befitting an Auror twice your age." Remus said. "Your eyes hold knowledge that they shouldn't."

"In that you are correct. I've encountered some of the best and worst in people. There's not much else to say other than that. I was a part of a death squad; I ferreted people out of their hiding places and brought them to face their crimes. It wasn't pretty, but it worked." Viviana said. She heard the mirror displace and Charlie walked in. "How did your meeting with Dumbledore go?"

"It went well." Charlie said as he looked over at Remus. "I'm Charlie Weasley."

"Nice to meet you Charlie, I'm Remus Lupin, I'm the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." Remus said as he shook Charlie's hand. "Viviana I'll see you later once you're settled in. Feel free to stop by my classroom so we can figure out our lesson plans, it seems like we'll be working in conjunction with each other."

"Thanks again Remus, I'll see you for dinner." Viviana said. She watched Remus leave and walked over to Charlie and kissed him full on the lips. "So what did he have to say?"

"We set up more things that deal with the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He wants me to travel back and forth between London and Romania to cultivate relationships with other wizards and witches. He things that He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, is already cultivating his own army." Charlie said. He was worried because he knew what he was going to have to tell her.

"Oh, you won't be in England any longer?" Viviana asked with a small frown.

"Not for much longer, I'll be going between the two countries. I'm sure we'll still see each other, but not as much as we have been." Charlie said.

"When do you leave?" Viviana asked.

"I leave in an hour. I have to go back home, and pack before I begin my trek back to Romania." Charlie said as he held Viviana close to him. "I think we should slow things down between the two of us, we won't see each other for another month at the earliest."

"So what, you're saying that what we have can't last through the distance?" Viviana asked as she pulled away from Charlie. Hurt was evident on her face. "Fine, I've got to set up my quarters anyways. Tell your Mom and family I'll see them later."

"Viv, I'm not saying that, but I have to leave and I don't want to start anything until we can actually be together a majority of the time." Charlie said. "We will be able to owl each other when we can, but beyond that I'm going to have my plate full, and so will you."

"Don't make this about me Charlie, you took the job you did knowing full well that you wouldn't be around. I'm glad you're doing something you like, but I'm not going to wait around for you." Viviana said coldly.

"Viv, please." Charlie said, staring at her. "This can work, just not in the way that we originally thought."

"It's fine Charlie, I'll send you letters here and there. I have a lot of work to do. I'll see you later." Viviana said as she walked towards the spiral staircase.

"Wait." Charlie said before pulling her into a deep kiss. "I promise, everything will work itself out, don't worry."

"Good bye Charlie, and be careful." Viviana said as she walked up the staircase and into her quarters. She heard the mirror open and heard Charlie's footsteps leave.

Her living quarters were beautiful. When you walked in, there was a main foyer, a living room and a small kitchen. Down the hall was a small bathroom and another spiral staircase led to the master bedroom and master bathroom. The bedroom was also made of glass, and she cast a charm so she could see out but no one could see in. There was a large four-poster bed against one wall, a wardrobe against another wall and a small desk in the corner. Off to the side there was a large bathroom with a beautiful tub sunk into the floor, and a shower off to the side. When she walked back into the bedroom she saw a hidden stair case behind a bookcase, she walked into the stair well and it lead her to a sitting room and a large expanse of book cases. The ceiling was a painting of the sky, and a circular skylight was in the center of the room. The walls were windows and she charmed them again to let light in but keep prying eyes out. There was also a small area for an owl to live, and a trapdoor that would let the owl out. _I guess I need to purchase an owl; perhaps Remus can help me find one. What the hell Charlie, the first chance you get you leave me. __**You need to distance yourself anyways. This won't work between you, you both have very different ways of living and he doesn't need a death mark marring his life.**__ That's not the point, it could work. __**It won't work. **__It will. _ She stopped arguing with herself and put away her belongings and went into the center living room. She grabbed her wand and attached it to her holster on her right arm and decided to visit Remus. As she wandered around the castle she finally came to his office. She saw the huge stonewalls, and the impressive dinosaur skeleton suspended above the entrance. When she walked in she heard a few voices arguing over something. She knocked on his door and she heard a shuffling of feet before the door opened.

"Viviana, come in. This is Professor Severus Snape, he teaches potions." Remus said as he gestured to the tall, imposing figure next to him. There was a cauldron that was producing thick vapors in the corner.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. You're welcome to call me Viviana. I'll be teaching a practical and physical class for Defensive and Offensive uses of magic." Viviana stuck out her hand and felt Severus' cold hand slip into hers.

"American. Interesting, clearly your reputation precedes you." Snapes' silky low voice emanated against the stonewalls. "Remus if there won't be anything you need further, I'll see you later."

"Are you feeling well?" Viviana asked.

"Oh yes, just a bit under the weather. Severus was kind enough to brew this potion for me." Remus said.

"Are you sure you're up to helping me? I wouldn't want you to get ill because you're out running with me." Viviana said, she looked concerned with his well-being.

"I'll be fine, I usually pick up a cold, due to allergies." Remus said. "Are you okay? You look upset."

"Eh, I'll be fine. Things have an odd way of working out, or in my case not working out. I'm pretty sure I just got dumped." Viviana said.

"I'm sorry to hear that, I had heard you and Charlie were seeing each other. Is there anything I can do?" Remus asked.

"Not unless you want to get completely shit faced with me tonight." Viviana said with a smile. "Do you know where I can purchase an owl? I think I'm going to need one."

"I don't drink much but I can spare some time to have a drink with you. I have a catalogue you can borrow to pick an owl best suited to your needs." Remus said as he grabbed a magazine and handed it to her. "It's just about dinner time, did you want to head down?"

"Nah, I'll go for a run instead, did you want to meet in my room in a couple hours?" Viviana asked.

"That's fine, I'll knock before I enter." Remus said smiling gently at her.

"Alright see you soon. I've got the alcohol, just bring yourself and a deck of cards if you have them." Viviana said before shouting over her shoulder, "Thanks for the magazine, I'll give it back to you tonight."

Viviana walked out of his classroom and went towards her room. She changed into a modified wet suit and a pair of running shorts and shoes. As she headed out of the castle she ran into Fred, George, Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Hey, I see that you're all back." Viviana said.

"Erm, hello Professor." They said.

"Call me Viviana unless your in class, Professor seems too formal and I'm not one for formalities unless absolutely needed." Viviana said.

"Out for a jog?" Fred asked.

"Sort of, I need to clear my head. I'm going swimming and then running, or something along those lines." Viviana said. "You're all welcome to join me."

"I think I enjoy the feelings in my toes, the lake is dead cold right now." Harry said smiling at her.

"Alright, I'll see you all tomorrow, swing by my office in the afternoon we can begin working then." Viviana said with a final wave.

She started running across the front lawn and continued until she was running around the Black Lake. When she had ran about 5 miles she stripped off her shoes and shorts and dove into the lake. She felt the rush of adrenaline as soon as the cold water engulfed her. She felt the slight sting of the water and began swimming back and forth with the shoreline. She pushed the thoughts of Charlie out of her mind and decided to let everything fall into place. As the sky grew darker she got out of the water cast a drying charm and retrieved her clothing. She walked into the castle and up to her room. She hopped into the shower relishing in the warmth of the water. When she got out she threw on a blood red tank top and a pair of torn up jeans. She went to the fridge and got out a bottle of firewiskey, and a bottle of vodka not knowing what Remus preferred to drink. She conjured a few glasses and made a vodka tonic accentuated with a lime. She took a few sips before she heard a knock on the door.

"Door's open, come on in." Viviana yelled. She saw Remus walk in and she smiled. He was wearing a pair of faded slacks and a button down shirt. "What's your poison? I have whiskey or vodka."

"I'll take a whiskey sour, thanks." Remus said. "Are you alright? I saw you running, and then I noticed you braved the lake for a swim. I know it can get pretty cold."

"Here you go." Viviana said as she handed Remus his preferred drink. "I'm alright, by the end of the week I'll be right as rain. It is cold but my suit has a built in warming spell. How are you feeling, you look a bit under the weather."

"Still peaky, I could be worse, luckily that potion keeps me feeling a lot like my old self." Remus said as they walked over to her living room.

"I'm sorry I'm not very entertaining. Did you bring a deck of cards?" Viviana asked.

"Don't apologize, I'm glad to have someone here I can talk to. I did remember the cards. Are we playing some sort of muggle drinking game with them?" Remus asked as he took them out of his pocket. Instead of normal cards, they had pictures of different wizards on them, and they were moving around much like wizarding photographs.

"Yeah, it's a game called Irish Poker. I hope you can hold your whiskey, it can get pretty intense. I did warn you that this will be a night we won't remember." Viviana said.

"Are you sure you're willing to do this?" Remus asked. "I've had my share of wild escapades in my younger years."

"You're what 10 years older than me?" Viviana said jokingly. "I think I can keep up with you, just in case we feel sick as hell I do have some hangover tonic in both bathrooms."

"I'm closer to 15 years older than you. How do we play this game?" Remus asked.

"It'll be a little difficult because there are only two of us, usually you play with more people. I will deal out 4 cards face down and they remain that way at first. You guess if the first card is red or black, if you're correct the other person drinks that many seconds. Face cards are worth 10, and an ace is 11. The second card you guess if it's higher or lower than the first card you had. If you're correct the other person drinks the first cards value times two. The third card you guess if it's in between or outside of the range of the cards you already flipped. If you're correct you give the other player the face value of the second card times two. The last card is the big one, you have to guess the suit and the cards face value. If you are correct the other person has to drink the face of your card twice over." Viviana said smiling at the look of confusion on Remus' face. "Do you see how you can get totally messed up on this game?"

"This sounds like a very intense game, hopefully we don't get too hammered." Remus said.

"I'll make it easy on you, I'll cut the deck in half after I shuffle it and then it's better odds of knowing what cards are out of the running." Viviana said. "If you want to pick four cards for yourself and four cards for me we'll begin the game. Oh and side bets are optional."

"What are the stakes if we set up side bets?" Remus asked lightly, he didn't think he'd lose against her. He had plenty of experience drinking with Sirius and James.

"You make the bet for me and I'll say that if you lose you're going to have to train with me every morning." Viviana said.

"Hardly fair, you're half my size." Remus said. "I'll come up with what I want later if I win."

Remus and Viviana got through two bottles of their preferred liquor apiece. They both ended up laughing merrily on the ground and the cards were left scattered around the room. Neither one could accurately say who technically won the three rounds of Irish Poker, but they both knew they were terrible at guessing the different cards.

"You have unique eyes, they're very mesmerizing." Remus said. _Her eyes are beautiful, like freshly cut irises there are even flecks of gold and silver. What am I saying, she has someone in her life, and she's a decade and a half younger than me. It's the whiskey talking; it has to be the whiskey talking._

"Thank you Remus, everyone always notices my eyes." Viviana said. "Your eyes remind me of something, I'm just not sure what. They're a pale golden color, with the colors of spring grass. I can't remember where I might have seen those colors."

"I'm sure one day you'll figure it out, and wish to avoid me." Remus said sadly.

"Why would I want to avoid you? You're incredibly kind and good-natured. A wonderful combination." Viviana said as she tried to stand. Remus stood up and helped her to her feet. "Thanks again, I can be very clumsy."

"That or we're both incredibly pissed. If I tell you something, regardless of your reaction, will you swear that you will keep it to yourself?" Remus asked.

"That's very true, and yes I give you my promise and oath that I will hold whatever secret you want free of persecution and judgment." Viviana said.

"I'm a werewolf. I have been since I was a little boy." Remus said, flinching away from her gentle touch.

"Remus that's nothing to be ashamed of. Why are you pulling away from me?" Viviana asked. "Did you expect me to drunkenly run away screaming?"

"Well, maybe the running away screaming part yes." Remus said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "You're not ashamed to be a friend of mine?"

"I'm honored that you would consider me worthy of holding your secret. It means a lot to me." Viviana said. "One day I'm sure I will confide in you, something that has haunted me."

"I promise to help you in whatever way I can. I should head back to my room now, I'm quite drunk." Remus said smiling at her, he reached out and pulled her close against his chest. "Thank you. I needed a friend."

"You don't have to thank me. I needed this too. You're welcome to stay here, I'm not sure how Dumbledore would take it knowing that you were shambling around drunkenly through the castle." Viviana said as she buried her head against his chest. She could smell woodsy cologne that reminded her of being outside on a spring night.

"Well how's it going to look if anyone comes to see you in the morning? Me walking out of your quarters, clearly dressed in the same clothes that I was wearing the previous day?" Remus asked.

"I see your point. Either way works for me, I don't mind." Viviana said as she felt his fingers trace her back.

"I'll stay, but I can sleep on the couch." Remus said, he was enjoying the silky texture of her skin, and felt the callings of his inner beast. The full moon was only a week away, and it brought his animalistic nature closer to the surface. He wanted to bury his nose behind her ear and take a deep breath of her scent. He felt her shiver against his ministrations and he could feel himself grow content with getting her to react to his touch. He pulled away from her gently because he didn't want her to have the wrong impression of him.

"You're such a gentleman. I have some clothes you can borrow if you'd prefer to wear something else to bed." Viviana asked as she slowly started walking towards the staircase that led to her bedroom.

"I'll take you up on that offer." Remus said. _Should I follow her up to her bedroom and see where this leads? Probably not, it's a better idea to stay put and hope she brings them down to me._

"Well follow me, going up the stairs drunk is easier than me falling down them. The room is already spinning and I doubt that I'd actually make it down the stairs without falling." Viviana said.

As they walked up into her bedroom Remus saw her walk over to her wardrobe and pull out a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. She also took out a silk top that he assumed she was going to wear. It was a deep crimson color and he knew it would look stunning against her skin.

"You have a choice between my shift and something a bit more manly." Viviana said.

"I'll take the manlier option, I think the silk would look better on your body." Remus said.

"Okay, well just change in the bathroom and I'll change out here. Let me wash up quick and we can swap." Viviana said. She walked into the bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth before walking out into the bedroom. "Alright the bathroom is yours."

With that Remus nodded and walked into the bathroom and shut the door lightly. He heard her shuffling around as he changed and opened the door before letting her know he was walking back into the room. He saw that she had just slid the silk teddy over her body, and he caught a glimpse of a silk thong that matched the silk teddy. It looked more like a short crimson; spaghetti strapped silk tank top than a teddy and left little to Remus' imagination. He coughed lightly, letting her know he was in the room. When she turned around he saw a faint blush on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize you were getting dressed still." Remus said looking at the floor.

"Remus, if you wanted to see me naked all you had to do was ask. I usually don't sleep with anything but panties on anyways." Viviana said seductively. _Wow, I probably shouldn't have said that, you don't know where you stand with Charlie and you're already trying to hop into bed with one of the other teachers. You're being a whore. __**I do know where I stand with Charlie it's called OVER.**__ You don't know where you stand; you're taken but not really. __** He broke up with me! There isn't anything between us. And what is with me taking bets when I'm drunk, that was stupid.**_

Remus stood there looking shell shocked as he met her eyes, they were sparkling in the moonlight, and she did indeed look incredibly seductive and sexually attractive. He wanted to walk over to her and pick her up and press her against the glass windows. He tried taking a deep breath and all he could smell was her scent.

"Ana, I'd appreciate the show, but I think that's too fast for either of us." Remus said. "Did we ever decide who won that bet?"

"No, I'm pretty sure I won though." Viviana said as she stumbled over to the bed and sat on the edge.

"I think you're stumbling worse than I am so I definitely won the bet my fair lady." Remus said jokingly. He could tell that he was being more flirtatious than he had been with any other woman he had met since being in Hogwarts. Maybe it was a mixture of being back at the last place he was happy, or the liquor that made him feel this way. He chocked it up to both before saying, "With that being said, since I won I require a kiss."

"A kiss? You are a gentleman." Viviana said. She watched Remus walk over to the bed and settle between her legs.

"I require a kiss, a warm full breath stealing kiss." Remus said. He slowly began running his fingers across her thighs, and up her arms.

"Claim your prize." Viviana said. She noticed his eyes were changing to a brighter green color and she attributed it to the lunar cycle. She closed her eyes as she felt him lean down and pull her flush against his body. She lightly wrapped her leg around his waist and felt his lips connect with hers. It felt like an electric shock sung through her bones, his tongue deftly explored her mouth and she felt his hands slide her teddy up and over her hips. She felt his hands grip into her hips and pull them up and against his body. The kiss seemed to deepen and grow more passionate, and suddenly it stopped. They were both breathing heavily, and they both had looks of desire in their eyes. "Fuck."

"God, that. That was amazing." Remus said, he looked down and saw the very thin patch of material covering her; he watched her full breasts slowly move up and down with every breath she took. He slowly inhaled her scent and could smell arousal, desire, want, and fear. The last scent was like candy on his tongue, his animalistic side went wild and he could feel his eyes bleed over fully to his wolf like nature. The wolf in him urged him to take her in her bed. The human side reminded him of the future complications this would bring, but in the end the wolf won out and he leaned down and kissed her passionately again. He could hear her heart pounding against her chest, and he could smell the thick fear in the air, the anticipation of what he would do. Her arousal clung to his senses and it drove him to push himself against her. He gripped her hips until he heard her whimper then moan. He grabbed her tighter and enjoyed the feeling of her leg wrapping around his back. He wolf in him growled against being restrained and the human in him enjoyed feeling her body so close to his. "Stop, Ana we have to stop."

"Why? We're both enjoying what we're doing. We're both adults." Viviana said as she sat up.

"Look at your hips, just by kissing you I've hurt you." Remus said as he showed her the bruises on her hips. "The alcohol is fueling this. Let me grab the hangover tonic it'll sober us both up."

"Remus you didn't hurt me, so I got a little bruised, I was enjoy it and so were you!" Viviana said as she drank the tonic Remus handed her.

"Ana I was enjoying it, the wolf inside me," Remus began before Viviana cut him off.

"The wolf is a part of you, don't feel like that's the ugly side of you. It's just another part of you, and it's a good thing. It may be different but that doesn't make it wrong or evil." Viviana said.

"I could end up hurting you Ana, and I couldn't live with that. I become more possessive, more aggressive, your scent is a nectar I want to bathe in." Remus said. "I smell fear, arousal, desire. It fuels me, and that scares me, that if you said no in the middle of sex I wouldn't stop. I'd go until I was done with you, doesn't that scare you?"

"Yes and no. I'm not afraid of you, I'm fearful of what I don't know. Has this happened before?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah, it happened close to the full moon when I attended Hogwarts, I was drunk with my girlfriend, she had said yes. I pushed her too far and ended up hurting her during sex. She was a virgin and I hurt her on accident." Remus said. "I'm a monster."

"You're not a monster Remus, you have a furry little problem. Plain and simple, I PMS like a son-of-a-bitch am I a monster? I'm not a virgin anymore, I don't think you would hurt me." Viviana said.

"Ana I'm not willing to try it again. If I hurt you I couldn't forgive myself." Remus said. "I'm sober enough, I'm walking back to my room, thank you. I have a lot to think about."

"Remus wait." Viviana said, as she stood up walked over to him. She kissed his lips gently. "Thank you for being the level headed one. I don't want you to think you're a rebound. I'm glad you were smart enough to give us both a sobering potion, it might have been awkward tomorrow."

"I doubt it will ever really be awkward between us. I'll see you in the morning." Remus said as he walked down the stairs.

Viviana heard her door close before she laid down on her bed. She felt restless and tossed and turned throughout the night. She felt like her dreams were like a movie, switching from scene to scene without a clear plot. When she finally woke up, the sun was just peering over the horizon and she woke thinking about what had happened the night before. She smiled and realized that everything has a way of working itself out. She wanted to move on and concentrate on her new life, safe from harm, safe from pain. She got out of bed and hopped into the tub and soaked as she read a book on the subject matter she was hoping to teach her new students. When she was finished she got dressed into a pair of yoga pants, and a long sleeve black yoga style top. She found her shoes and walked out of her quarters and her classroom and down towards the Great Hall for breakfast.

**So what did you think? I need some reviews people =)**


	8. Early, Dark and Stupid

**Chapter 8: Early Dark and Stupid**

**So I've had a little bit more time to update, I hope everything going well for everyone else in the world. It was really nice the last few days, but today was fracking cold. Mother nature you're such a tease. **

As Viviana walked into the Great Hall she saw a few students milling around a large circular table. She assumed that because there weren't that many students and faculty staying over the winter holidays they condensed the tables that normally filled the hall. Viviana saw Albus, Harry, the Weasley's and Hermione. She sat down next to Harry and Albus.

"Good morning everyone." Viviana said as she picked up her cup and hot espresso poured into it.

"Good morning to you Professor Valentine." Albus said with a merry smile. "Would you care for some porridge?"

"No thank you Headmaster, I'm interested in some eggs and toast." Viviana said.

"Everyone it's my honor to present a new teacher, Viviana Valentine. She will be teaching a branch off of D.A.D.A. She will teach you a more physical aspect of Defensive and Offensive spell work. It will be available to any student in their 3rd year and higher. Please send her an owl by the end of today to let her know if you wish to add this to your class load." Albus said.

"How are you this morning Harry?" Viviana asked as she passed him a bowl of scrambled eggs.

"Fine, a little tired, but other wise I am well. I'd like to take your class by the way, do you still want me to send you an owl?" Harry asked her.

"No that's fine, a verbal conformation works just as well." Viviana said. She finished her breakfast and stood up waving good-bye to everyone. As she wandered towards her classroom she noticed that Harry was jogging to catch up with her.

"Viviana, hey, Viviana." Harry called.

"Yes Harry? Is there something I can help you with?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah I was wondering when your lessons were going to be taught." Harry asked as he walked to her classroom along side her.

"The morning classes will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 5:00 am until 7:00 am. Those will be a physical fitness class and intrusion class. Tuesday's and Thursday's will be held directly after dinner and those will be a classroom based education." Viviana said.

"Oh okay." Harry said he looked like he had more to say but he held back another question until she prompted him to say what was on his mind.

"Is there something bothering you Harry?" Viviana asked as they entered the classroom.

"Professor Lupin was sick today, and I wondered if you could just start teaching me how to do a patronus charm." Harry said.

"Because of the dementors?" Viviana asked.

"Yes, they seem to affect me more than other people." Harry said looking quite glum.

"Harry they affect me a great deal too. There's nothing wrong with that, you and I have been around evil more than most of the general population. That's what gives them a gateway to our pain and suffering more than a normal person. There's nothing to be ashamed of, I'm sure Professor Lupin would agree." Viviana said. She looked over and saw that a large owl was sitting on her desk with a large wrapped package. When she opened it up she let out a little laugh of joy. Her custom broom had arrived. "Bangin'! It finally came!"

"Professor is that the _new_ Firebolt?" Harry asked in awe.

"Call me Professor again and I'll dock points Harry." Viviana said with a small smirk. "Yes it is the new Firebolt. I heard you were an amazing flier, would you care to go down to the pitch today and help me break it in?"

"Wow, thanks Prof, I mean Viviana I'd really enjoy that." Harry said.

"I will teach you how to use your wand holstered so you don't have to worry about pulling it out during a match, it takes some skill but it'll make it easier on you in the long run." Viviana said as she handed him a holster. "You can either strap it to your arm or your leg, whatever works better for you. I have to say that tackling a patronus charm can be very tiring. Why don't we go down to the pitch and we'll work on a ton of happy thoughts, okay?"

"Alright Viviana I'll meet you down there in a half an hour, can a few others join us? Maybe play a pick up game?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Sure I'll clear it with Madame Hooch and we'll play a quick game." Viviana said.

When Harry left Viviana went up to her bedroom and changed into a pair of leggings, a fitted long sleeve black shirt and added her leather bracers to her legs and arms. She also tucked her gloves into her back pocket and slipped her wand into her right boot. She grabbed her sunglasses and jumped out of the window and onto her broom. As she flew down to the pitch her spirit soared at feeling the wind rustling around her. There was a nice breeze and the sun was out. She flew down to Madame Hooch's living quarters and flew into a steep dive and pulled up a foot above the ground. The handling was superb and she felt like she was a bird of prey.

"Madame Hooch?" Viviana called as she knocked on the front door.

"Yes? Oh you must be the new teacher Viviana. You're welcome to call me Rolanda. Is there something you need?" Madame Hooch asked.

"A few of the students wanted to play a pick up game and I wanted to know if we could use the pitch and the balls." Viviana asked.

"Sounds fine by me, is that the new Firebolt?" Madame Hooch exclaimed, her hawk like eyes were bright and excited looking.

"Just got it today, I had them completely strip it down and add a bunch of features to it. Would you like to join us today?" Viviana asked.

"That's an amazing broom, really fantastic. I'm sure the workmanship alone cost a fortune. If you wouldn't mind, it's been ages since I played and I'd enjoy giving these kids a run for their money." Madame Hooch said. They both grabbed their brooms and supported the trunk filled with the Quidditch balls between them. When they set down on the pitch the Weasley's, Harry and Hermione joined them. The Gryffindor Quidditch Team Captain Oliver Wood was there as well.

"This is quite the turn out, we have a bit of an uneven amount of players." Viviana said as she counted 4 Weasley's (Fred, George, Ron and Ginny), Harry, Hermione, Oliver, Rolanda and herself. "I know George and Fred play as beaters, Oliver and Ron are usually keepers, Harry is a seeker as is Ginny, I used to be a seeker but I could play as a chaser as could Rolanda. If this seems fair we can split the teams up equally."

A murmur of agreement passed and the teams were picked according to the seekers. Hermione had opted to sit out and watch the players have fun; she was more worried about the course work that was coming up. Harry drew the shorter end of a stick so Ginny picked first.

"Fred." Ginny said.

"George." Harry said, earning a high five from George.

"Oliver." Ginny said knowing that Oliver had a better chance of keeping the goals out.

"Ron." Harry said, and Ron smiled at him.

"Madame Hooch." Ginny said.

"Professor Valentine." Harry said smiling; he clearly thought he had the better end of the bargain.

With that the players all took to their brooms and Madame Hooch let the bludgers, and snitch fly into the air. She charmed the quaffle to fly up between herself and Viviana. Viviana took the first possession of the quaffle and Fred hit a bludger directly at her. She flipped upside down on her broom and flew to the goal posts. She heard another bludger whip by her and she ducked, nearly getting hit in the back before accelerating at an alarming rate. She sat high on her broom as she went in for a shot she juked around Oliver and made a goal. Rolanda was in possession of the quaffle and she zoomed down the field also managing to miss the bludgers that George sent at her. Her technique on a broom was perfect and she easily lobbed the quaffle past Ron. Meanwhile Harry and Ginny were circling the field looking for any sign of the Golden Snitch. Every once and a while Harry would fake a dive and see Ginny trying to keep up. Viviana grabbed the quaffle and flew back down towards Oliver. She tried juking around him again but a bludger came out and slammed into her rib cage, she held on to her broom but the quaffle slipped from her grasp. She grimaced past the pain and flew into a steep dive stopping less than a foot above the ground before she retrieved the run away quaffle. She heard Fred yell an apology before she threw another shot and scored. It was a very even match between the chasers and it was obvious that the seekers would decide the game. She saw Harry streak off towards the ground and she saw the Snitch hovering towards the center of the field. Madame Hooch tucked low to her broom and intercepted him and sent him off course. Ginny went after the Snitch and managed to grab it as it was climbing into the air. Ginny had won the game.

"Professor that wasn't fair!" Harry exclaimed. "You clearly interfered with me getting to the Snitch!"

"Actually Potter, I created a diversion, and I didn't physically touch you so I wouldn't have received a foul." Rolanda said.

"Good job Ginny, that was truly a wonderful bit of flying you did." Fred said smiling as he hugged his younger sister.

"Thanks Gred." Ginny said smiling at Fred.

"Alright I have lesson plans to work up, I'll see you all in my classroom tonight around 8." Viviana said as she pulled off her gauntlets, and braces on her legs.

"Still have room in your class?" Oliver asked.

"Sure, I haven't had many replies to be honest with you." Viviana said.

"Do you mind if I come too?" Oliver asked.

"That's fine, I'm located behind the large antique mirror on the 6th floor. Be there around 8 with comfortable clothes." Viviana said. "That goes for all of you, comfortable clothes and running shoes. If you have a holster for your wand you might want that."

"Are you okay?" Harry asked Viviana.

"I think some of my ribs are broken. I'll fix them later, don't worry." Viviana said.

"Okay well we'll see you around 8." Harry said.

"See you all then." Viviana said as she flew towards her bedroom window. When she touched down she pulled off her top and saw that her ribs on her right side were black, blue and deep purple. She knew she had broken two if not three during the match. "Frack! This is not how I wanted my first day to go."

Viviana moved her hands over her ribs to dull the pain but she knew she couldn't set them, and would have to tape them to get them to heal properly. She jumped into the shower and enjoyed the warmth that the water gave her. She hopped out and put on a pair of running shorts and a crimson red tank top. She tied her shoes tightly and grabbed a black, zip up sweatshirt to complete her ensemble. She left her room and decided to work on her lesson plans. _Should I just start with a few basic tests to see where their skill level is? Or should I just jump in and start them with basic dueling? I can't have them duel each other without knowing how powerful they are, perhaps I can ask another teacher to help me lead a dueling lesson during the school year. Maybe even Professor Snape will lend a hand; I know he seems very knowledgeable he would be a prime target. Ack. I don't know. _She decided to let the students go through a practical exam before actually learning how to duel each other. _Great the first actual class I have with them they'll have to take a test. I'm sure to win the 'most popular teacher' award my first day._ As she was sitting there reading over the possible ways she could teach the students the best ways to duel a swarm of owls entered her classroom and began lining up on her desk. She guessed that they were letters from various students asking to join her class.

"Granger, Hermione; all of the Weasley's minus Percy; Wood, Oliver; Longbottom Neville, Spinnet Alicia; Johnson, Angelina; Bell, Katie; Diggory, Cedric; Thomas, Dean." She said aloud, thinking about the actual turn out for her class. There were a few other letters she hadn't opened yet. She stood up and stretched, when she saw a falcon sitting there staring at her she walked over to it and it cocked its head sideways and hooted at her. She saw a small letter attached and it told her it was a female peregrine falcon. She was mostly gray, with black and white stripes on her legs. The falcon squawked at her and whistled.

"Well hello, what should I name you?" Viviana aside. She knew that peregrine falcons had the ability to dive at speeds of 200mph so she wanted something fast and deadly. "What do you think of Apollo? No I guess not, what about Helo? No, okay what about Boomer?"

The falcon bobbed gently and perched herself closer to Viviana. "Alright Boomer it is, you're welcome to make yourself comfortable, there's an area in my quarters that can house you, let me know if you need something else to make you comfortable." With that Boomer flew off and Viviana started preparing herself for her class. She set up a few diversions that would distract the students as they were dueling, and a few pop up 'Death Eaters" that would send stinging jinxes, shield charms, and would use other light curses and hexes. The floors would shift, become harder or softer, slippery or sticky and would keep them on their toes. She was looking forward to seeing how they would react to their new tests. She looked out the windows and could tell it was near dinnertime, the sun was slowly starting to set and she left her classroom and walked towards the Great Hall.

There were few people seated at the dinner table and she could see other students walking into the hall, she took a seat between Oliver and Severus and filled her cup with water. She saw Harry, Ron and Hermione whispering between them and watched a few other students shoot glances in her direction.

"You'll be seeing Madame Pomfrey then?" Oliver asked regarding Viviana's rib cage.

"Nope, they'll heal fine, I've had worse hits." Viviana said smiling at his raised eyebrows.

"Where have you been that it's a common occurrence to have such injuries?" Oliver asked. "Broke ribs are no wee accident."

"I used to play seeker on my old schools team, I took a fair amount of injuries when I wasn't paying attention. I also used to hunt wizards and witches that practiced dark magic and they didn't play fair." Viviana said.

"Right. I remembered hearing that about you." Oliver said as he observed her obvious surprise that she was being discussed throughout the students. "You're a new teuchter, of course you're going to be spoken about."

"I didn't think about it that way." Viviana said.

"My theory must be off, you can't have graduated that much earlier than I will." Oliver said.

"You're very correct, I was born a year ahead of you, but I also graduated a few years ago. I ended my tutelage when I was sixteen." Viviana said.

"I thought you were awfully young, there's not saying you're older looking but your eyes show a lot of fire." Oliver said.

"If I may have a word." Severus said. "I have a message for you."

"Actually I was curious if you would assist me with something, were you interested in helping my class learn how to duel?" Viviana asked. "What's the message?"

"The message I will give to you later, perhaps after dinner. I assume that you're aware of our last school dueling experience?" Severus said waiting for her to answer. "No? The last idiot that applied and got the D.A.D.A. position clearly couldn't duel and it nearly ended in disaster. I'd like to oversee your methods before I subject myself to another dueling lesson."

"That's fine, I hadn't heard about the previous dueling lesson, but I understand your reluctance." Viviana said before continuing her conversation with Oliver. "So you're the Quidditch captain correct?"

"Been so since my 5th year. I think this is the year to win the Cup too. Harry is unbeatable, and the team is top notch." Oliver said with a smile he stood up with Viviana and walked with her to her classroom. "You're a spectacular flier, why didn't you go for the pro's?"

"It wasn't my calling. I wanted to fight off the bastards that made my life hell." Viviana said. As they walked to her classroom she noticed that he was blushing faintly and she felt uneasy, knowing that she was a teacher even if they were a year or so apart in age. "Well Oliver, I'll see you later, I have to catch up with Professor Snape before we have our training session tonight. I'll see you then."

"Should I address you as Viviana or Professor Valentine?" Oliver asked.

"Viviana is fine, unless it's during class, and then you should probably call me Professor Valentine. I try and keep everything relaxed, a title doesn't mean much. You don't have to have a patch on your arm to incur honor." Viviana said.

"Alright _Viviana_, I'll see you later tonight." Oliver said as he walked away.

Viviana set up her classroom for the practice session, and in the middle of setting everything up she heard someone walk into the room. She turned around and saw Severus standing there.

"Hey, thanks for dropping by." Viviana said as she moved a dummy to the center of the floor.

"I have a message for you." Severus said.

"Clearly, you did state that earlier." Viviana said.

"The Dark Lord knows of your whereabouts and is very interested in your position as a professor. He is going to great lengths to find you, and capture you." Severus said.

"He would." Viviana said with a scowl. "He wants what he can't have. I still refuse his offers."

"It's unwise to openly revoke his wishes." Severus said. "It's not just dangerous for you, it's dangerous for those you associate yourself with as well."

"Believe me Severus I know that. I've paid that price before, as I'm sure you know." Viviana said. "His wishes are no concern of mine, I'm not a fey godmother whom grants them at everyone else's command."

"It was a fair warning." Severus said. "What plans do you have for your dueling class?"

"I thought our skills are matched we could give the students a show, I would ask that you not hold back." Viviana said.

Severus smirked and finally said, "Are you sure you can withstand a full assault?"

"I know I can. Can you?" Viviana taunted.

"Very much so. I'm very interested, when will we show the students how a real duel is exhibited?" Severus asked.

"First day of the lessons. Does that work for you?" Viviana asked.

"I'll make time, it interferes with my teaching hours, but it will work." Severus said.

"Okay well that's splendid, I'll see you later I still have something's that I have to prepare for my lessons tonight." Viviana said. "Thank you Severus, I appreciate your help."

"You're welcome." Severus said before leaving Viviana's classroom.

Viviana concentrated and slipped into a state of conscious where she was able to become totally invisible. It was a few minutes before the students would be arriving and she wanted to surprise them all. She climbed up a wall and sat on the rafters of the ceiling. She watched patiently as each student walked in.

"I'm glad everyone could make it. Tonight will be a very interesting display of what's to come in my class. Thank you for wearing comfortable clothing, you'll be thankful you listened. There are different wand holsters on the desk." Viviana said. She watched the students look around for her, yet none of them looked towards the ceiling. When they all went to retrieve a holster she slid down from the ceiling and cast a cushioning charm before landing directly behind them. "Did you find what you needed?"

She could tell that she startled everyone by the looks of confusion and awe on their faces.

"First lesson, observe all of your surroundings. I don't need a cloak to be invisible. By the end of the year you won't either." Viviana said. "I noticed that not a single one of you looked up, I was perched on a rafter above your heads. I could have stunned or petrified all of you before one of you would have noticed me."

"Professor, why do we need holsters?" Hermione asked.

"They're very useful in a draw, a wand is much easier to find, and it won't fall out of your robes or pocket that way." Viviana said. "It takes time to get used to the feeling, but it will help you in the end. They are a mandatory item that needs to be worn and used during any of my lessons. I expect the best out of all of you, there will not be a single reason why any of you can't earn a good grade in my class and learn much more besides. I want you to separate by your years, and each of you will have to tackle the dummy in front of me. It will move as fast as you are and send different curses, hexes and jinxes towards you. Deflect them, defeat them."

Viviana stood towards the back of the room and watched each of the students go against the dummy. Harry was very quick but he wasn't pushing himself to the fullest of his abilities. Hermione showed perfect form but didn't put her heart into it. Ron was by far more nervous and didn't display the calm needed during a duel. Ginny was incredibly inventive and showed a lot of grit when facing the dummy. The twins both showed character and unique ways of avoiding the dummies spells. Cedric was textbook perfect much like Hermione, he had a lot more heart but was still considering this a gentleman's duel. Neville was very nervous but preformed well; she knew he would need encouragement to keep attending her lessons. The three chasers proved to be useful, but they weren't as harsh as they would have to be. Dean was grazed by a leg locking jinx and fell over, but hit the dummy straight in its center knocking it over. Oliver used a decent strategy and was able to avoid getting hit, and got in a few jinxes and a good hex.

"Very good all of you, you're all showing a particular knack for doing this. With training you'll be able to stand against most people." Viviana said.

"Will we ever see you duel?" Harry asked.

"You will, Professor Snape and I will be dueling the first day of class." Viviana said, she knew he wasn't a popular teacher by the looks of glee on the student's faces. "I want each of you to pair up and duel each other, I've set your wands at 5 percent, you won't get hurt but you will feel a buzz when you get hit. No holds, go at your opponent like you mean to incapacitate them."

She watched as they all paired up, Cedric faced Harry and they were off. Each of the students were perplexed when the floors changed, and when things popped out in front of them. Neville some home managed to cast a full shield charm and throw Ginny into a wall.

"I'm sorry!" Neville said.

"Don't apologize Neville that was an incredibly strong shield. Be proud of your work. Ginny are you alright?" Viviana asked.

"Yes, just wasn't prepared." Ginny said, she took up a dueling stance and attacked Neville with a fierce efficiency.

"Lesson number two, size doesn't matter, nor does physical numbers. Cedric, Hermione, Harry, Oliver, Ginny, Fred and George. I want you all to attack me, don't hold back I won't show any of you mercy." Viviana said.

"But Professor, we outnumber you, are you sure you want to do this?" Cedric asked.

"If you ever face an enemy they won't ask if they can attack you all at once, nor will they care if you're smaller than them. I stand much shorter and smaller than the rest of you, I'm also injured and I promise you, you will not defeat me." Viviana said. "Use any curse, jinx, and hex you can think of. Baring only the 3 curses that will give you a one way ticket to Azkaban. Understood? I've drawn a line, if I manage to cross it, you've given up your footholds and I will have won."

Fred and George threw the first set of hexes and jinxes; Viviana deflected them with a wave of her hands. She forced them back with strong gust of air that chilled them all to the bone. Hermione, Harry and Ginny joined in and she was surrounded, she used the air that she pulled in around her to deflect the curses and compress the air making it hard for them to breathe. She watched as Cedric and Oliver joined in, and one of them got a shot off and it she felt blood running down her cheek.

"That's it! Keep at it, don't let up!" Viviana screamed at them. She countered every hex and jinx they threw at her, and used their own momentum against them and silent locked their legs and pulled their wands from them with the air. "Amazing, you all did exceptionally well."

"We couldn't get any ground against you. We lost three or four feet. You pushed every one of us back." Cedric said. He was clearly flushed and looked very flustered.

"That's very true." Viviana said, she hadn't even broken into a sweat, and was breathing evenly and normally. "I want 6 inches of parchment due your first day of class, regarding the matters upon this duel you've witnessed. I'll start the morning training tomorrow morning, wear comfortable clothes, and be prepared to be sore."

She watched as the students left her room before she cleaned up and walked up to her bedroom. She pulled off her tank top and saw that blood had seeped through her bandages, and probably showed that she had minor internal bleeding. _Damn and here I thought I was still okay, guess I'll be making that trip to the hospital wing._ Viviana grabbed her sweatshirt and threw it on before making her trip to the infirmary. When she left her classroom and headed towards the infirmary, she heard someone call her name.

"Viviana, are you okay?" Oliver asked.

"I'm heading to the infirmary. You were right." Viviana said.

"Bloody hell, you're bleeding!" Oliver said, he saw the blood through her sweatshirt and ran over to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Oliver you don't need to carry me, I'm perfectly capable of walking." Viviana said. She noticed that the hallway looked blurry before collapsing into Oliver's arms.

When she woke up, she saw what she assumed was the infirmary. Her ribs felt better but they were still tight. She saw Oliver slumped over in a chair casually snoozing.

"I wondered when you were going to wake up. You really did a number on yourself. Ruptured lung, blood everywhere, if Mr. Wood hadn't seen you who knows where and when we would've found you." Madame Pomfrey said.

"That bad? I thought I just bruised easily." Viviana joked, she saw Madame Pomfrey scowl at her and she noticed that Oliver was sitting up alert and smiling.

"You can leave tomorrow morning, I need to make sure you don't get involved in anything else that will rupture the bindings I put on them." Madame Pomfrey said.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'll head back to my quarters thanks." Viviana said.

"I can help her there Madame Pomfrey, I'll make sure she's safe." Oliver said as he stood up and offered her his hand.

"Fine, well don't cry to me when you end up here for a week!" Madame Pomfrey said as she stormed into her office.

"Ready?" Oliver said as she slipped her hand into his.

"Thanks for the escape. I hate being in a hospital. Gives me the creeps." Viviana said.

"You're welcome, do you want me to carry you?" Oliver asked.

"Honestly Oliver, I'm really fine, I should have listened to you, but I'll be okay." Viviana said as she slipped her hand out of his.

"I hope I didn't offend you." Oliver said as he watched her face for a response.

"You didn't offend me, I'm not used to anyone taking care of me in the slightest." Viviana said.

"Didn't Charlie try and take care of you?" Oliver asked uncertainly.

"Before he left me? I guess, but I did remind him that I'm much more equipped to handle problems myself." Viviana explained.

There was a long silence as they walked back to her quarters, the dawn sunlight filtered through the classroom and bits of dust were illuminated throughout the sunlit patches. Oliver had his arm around her waist and supported her as she walked up the flight of stairs to her room. Her bedroom was neat and organized and he helped her sit down on the edge of her bed. He saw her wince when she sat down, and he knew that her side was probably very tender. The sweatshirt that she had worn down to the infirmary was caked in dried blood and most likely ruined.

"You'll be wanting something else to wear then?" Oliver asked Viviana.

"Yeah that's a good idea, top drawer in the dresser there should be a black tank top, would you please grab that and a pair of shorts next to them." Viviana said.

Oliver retrieved the clothing that she asked for and brought them over to her. He watched as she tried to stand up, and he noticed that she was gripping the bedpost tightly. He walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her walk to the bathroom, he sat her down on the edge of a bathtub and set her clothes next to her.

"Are you sure that you can get dressed?" Oliver asked.

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I can't dress myself." Viviana said lightly.

"Okay I'll wait outside until you're ready. Let me know when you're done." Oliver said.

"Roger." Viviana said before the door closed. She stripped off her sweatshirt, and slipped the tank top over her head. The shorts were harder to get off and she used her wand to get them off and put the new ones on. As she stood up she looked in the mirror and used a cleaning charm to clean off her hair, and body and brush her teeth. As she walked towards the bedroom she felt another wave of pain resonate off her body. She took a pain potion and opened the door. Oliver was sitting on an armchair reading a Quidditch magazine; he looked up when she walked into the room.

"Are you feeling better?" Oliver asked.

"Now that I'm clean and freshly dressed yes. I'm going to try and sleep for a few hours and then I'll get up. Would you mind letting the students know I won't be able to teach their class for a few days?" Viviana asked.

"Sure not a problem. Did you want me to bring you something for lunch?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver you're not under any obligation to help me." Viviana said.

"I might not be under obligation but I want to help you." Oliver said smiling lightly at her.

"Alright, Why don't you meet me up here for lunch and we'll make something together." Viviana said, she saw his face light up and she groaned internally. She didn't want any other complications while teaching at school. "Oliver, I do appreciate your help, but it's not a good idea for you to get attached to me. I'm still a teacher here, and it's not the greatest idea."

"I understand that, really I'm just trying to help you. I know you're a teacher, and I'm still technically a student for a few more months." Oliver said. He helped her lay down in bed and he pulled the covers over her. "That doesn't mean I won't pursue you when I'm out of school, you're quite lovely you know."

Viviana laughed before she said, "I can't say anything that doesn't implicate me. I think you know you're good looking, and a genius on a broom. I'll see you for lunch."

Oliver leaned down and kissed the crown of her head before leaving. When he left her bedroom and personal quarters, he ran into Professor Lupin. "Afternoon Professor, how are you?"

"Just fine Mr. Wood. Would you care to explain why you're in Professor Valentine's quarters?" Remus asked warily.

"She was hurt during a pick up game, she just got out of the infirmary and she's resting now." Oliver said.

"I see. Well I guess I'll stop by later." Remus said before walking towards his own classroom. Remus was bothered that Oliver had been in her bedroom, but he knew there was nothing between the two of them. The effects of the full moon made him tired, and quite cranky. He remembered Lily commenting on his appearance and temperament after a full moon, she reminded him that he was like a girl on pms. He frowned because he knew that he wouldn't allow himself to start anything with Viviana and he felt an odd stirring in his chest. He found her attractive, but he couldn't figure out why seeing Oliver would have made him so upset. He was jealous. Jealous and angry that his condition was such a burden, he couldn't start a real relationship with anyone, it would be far to dangerous for the other person involved. He sighed and entered his classroom. When he got there he saw Harry waiting for him.

"Hello Professor. Are you feeling better?" Harry asked.

"I'm still a touch under the weather but yes I'm feeling a lot better than I was a few days ago." Remus said.

"When can we start working on my patronus charm?" Harry asked.

"I'll figure something out this week, I heard you asked Professor Valentine the same question." Remus said.

"I wanted a jump start on it. I don't want to be caught unaware again." Harry said.

"After term starts Harry, you only have another week before we can accomplish this." Remus said.

"Okay, thanks Professor." Harry said. He left Professor Lupins classroom and walked back to the Gryffindor common room. He saw the twins playing a round of wizarding chess, Hermione was reading a book and Ron was playing a game of exploding snap with Ginny. Oliver was reading over a playbook and Harry walked over to him. "Did you find some new plays for the rest of the season?"

"I think so, some of the moves that Professor Valentine used were very useful. If she wasn't a teacher I'd ask her for some help, but they're supposed to remain impartial." Oliver said as he flipped through his book. "We're going to have a tough time scheduling practice around her lessons and everything else that's being thrown at us."

"You'll figure it out Oliver you always do." Harry said.

"Thanks Harry, I suppose we could practice at night, and on the mornings that we aren't training with Professor Valentine." Oliver said, he watched Harry frown. "I know that's a lot of training but we're going to need it if we're going to win the cup.

"I know Oliver, it's just the idea of waking up that early every day makes me grimace. I think it would give us an advantage." Harry said.

"An advantage over what?" Fred said. "We're already training harder than any other team."

"It's an advantage because we'll have more training opportunities in different types of weather and we'll be a more integrated team." Oliver said.

"Honestly Wood, what other team besides the pro's train 5 days a week?" George said.

"A team that wants to win. This is our year, my last year to win the Cup. We should have won the last few years, sadly bad luck seemed to be our mantra." Oliver said.

"We'll do it Oliver, you'll see." Angelina chipped in.

Oliver looked down at his watch and saw that it was nearly lunchtime. He went to his quarters and hopped into the showers and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He grabbed a hoodie and left his room.

"George, Fred. How do you find the door to the kitchen?" Oliver asked.

"Why?" They chorused.

"To go play with the elves." Oliver said drolly. "Because I need to get some food."

"Why not wait until lunch?" Fred asked.

"It's only another half an hour." George said.

"I'm not grabbing food for just myself." Oliver said.

"Oh, going on a romantic lunch rendezvous?" Fred asked jokingly.

"No I'm not, just helping someone out." Oliver said. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"God, keep your pants on mate, tickle the pear on the bowl of fruit. It's located near the Hufflepuff common room." George said. He whispered to his brother, "Wanna get the map and see whom he's meeting?"

"Thanks. See you all later." Oliver said.

"Who is who meeting?" Ron asked.

"Not that it matters to you, but we're spying on Wood!" Fred and George said.

"Leave him alone, you two are terrible." Katie said. "It's none of you business."

"Don't any of you wonder who he's meeting with? Maybe it's a bird from another house." Fred said.

"Nope, he'll tell us if he wanted to." Angelina said.

A chorus of speculation burst forth and the Gryffindor common room because gossip central. Harry shrugged his shoulders and joined Hermione on one of the couches. Ginny had lost at gobstones and joined them on the couch as well after she cleaned herself off. Ron was gloating slightly as he sat down next to Hermione. Fred and George were sitting on the floor pouring over a piece of parchment, giggling like two schoolgirls.

"Oi! Looks like he's heading towards the 6th floor, think he's sweet on the new professor?" Fred asked.

"Well maybe, look he disappeared! Oh we have to investigate this later. There are so many opportunities to exploit them!" George said.

"You both know she's injured right?" Ginny said. "Oliver told me the bludger that one of you buffoons hit at her collapsed part of her lung. Either leave them alone or I'm writing to Mum."

"Honestly Ginny, aren't you a little bit curious, after all Charlie was all pissy when he got back from the castle. Mentioned something to Bill about him breaking up with her. I don't know why he would, kind of an idiotic thing to do really." Fred said.

"It's none of _your_ business!" Ginny said angrily.

"Fine be that way." Fred and George both said before folding up the parchment.

Oliver knocked on Viviana's door and he heard some shuffling before a house elf opened her door.

"Yes Mr. Wood?" the house elf asked. "I'm Flit the house elf."

"Nice to meet you Flit, is Viviana awake?" Oliver asked.

"She's taking a bath but will be done soon, would you like to come in? Miss said you would be arriving soon." Flit said.

"Sure thanks Flit I appreciate it." Oliver said and watched the house elf bow lowly. He sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out the food he brought from the kitchen. Fresh fruit, some bread for sandwiches, and tomato soup. He wasn't sure what she preferred to eat, but he knew she ate pretty lightly during lunch. He heard her swear loudly and heard Flit yelp. Oliver ran up the stairs to see Viviana covered in a towel sprawled out on the floor. He ran over to her and helped her sit up. "Are you alright?"

"Idiot me slipped on the marble. I'm alright." Viviana said. "My ego is more bruised than my body is."

"Do you want me to check on your ribs?" Oliver asked. He helped her stand and he realized that she was still clad only in a towel. "Or I can find you some clothes first."

"You know where I keep my shorts and my shirts. Just grab something and I'll throw it on." Viviana said. Oliver returned with another tank top and a pair of yoga pants. "Thanks Oliver."

"No problem, I'll wait in your bedroom until your dressed." Oliver said, he was blushing slightly and he smiled as he walked out of the bathroom. He sat down on a chair and waved his wand across her bed. He watched the sheets, blankets and pillows reassemble themselves on the bed and he heard Viviana walk out into the bedroom.

"Thank you. I forgot to make it when I woke up." Viviana said. She slipped her old Quidditch jersey over her head and yawned.

"How are your ribs?" Oliver asked.

"Fine I guess, still sore, I need to change the bandages. Would you mind helping? Viviana asked.

Oliver walked over to where she was standing and carefully lifted up her shirt, he saw the deep bruises across her abdomen, and had her hold her shirt. He tried to remain objective and not stare at her nearly naked body. He pressed the dressings against her rib cage and slowly secured them.

"Fit as a fiddle." Oliver said.

"Thanks Oliver I appreciate." Viviana said.

"You ready for lunch?" Oliver asked.

"That sounds good, I'm starving." Viviana said they both walked downstairs into her kitchen and sat down at her kitchen table. Oliver had brought soup, sandwiches and some sort of fresh fruit dessert. "Geeze Oliver you've got enough food to feed an army!"

"Well I wondered what you wanted, I didn't know what you preferred." Oliver said.

"Everything looks great, I don't have much of an appetite but I'm sure I'll sample a bit of everything that you brought." Viviana said. They ate lunch in silence and when they were done she waved her hands over the food and it disappeared. "Thanks for the lunch Oliver, I have to kick you out, because I've got a lot of work to do."

"I understand, I'll see you in class this week." Oliver said.

"Okay I'll see you soon. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thanks again for your help. I really appreciate it." Viviana said.

"You'll be taking care of yourself right?" Oliver said.

"Yep I promise to actually take care of myself." Viviana said. She watched him walked out of her classroom and down the 6th floor corridor. Viviana knew she had a lot of work to catch up on, and she needed to heal so she could properly handle the duel with Snape. She had a few more days before she had to be in tip top shape. As she sat down at her desk she saw that her falcon Boomer was sitting on a perch, with a letter attached to her ankle. "Oh my, what have you got there Boomer?"

Boomer let out a high pitched wistling, and waited for Viviana to get the letter and hand her a treat. When she got her treat she took off for her perch in Viviana's study. Viviana sat down and read the letter. It was addressed to her, and she recognized the handwriting as Charlie's.

_Viv-_

_I hope that you're doing well, I'm sure you're fitting in with everyone at the castle._

_Romania is freezing, and I wish I was back home already. My parents wished they could have seen you for the rest of the holidays, but they understood that you were quite busy with your new post. I'm sorry that we left whatever we have on the back burner. I'm sorry that I left, I wish I hadn't, after you're done teaching this semester would you like to visit me in Romania? I'd love to see you, and show you that I do care about you, and that there is a place for you in my life. Please let me know what you think._

_Fondly thinking of you-_

_Charlie W._

Viviana carefully read the letter over twice, and frowned. What should she say back? Was there really anything to say back to him in the first place? There was so much left unsaid, with little hope, three months was a long time to really have to wait for anyone. She sighed and decided that she'd write back to him later, she'd rather plan out a few lessons than ponder about her future with Charlie.

Around midnight Viviana stood up and streatched. Her ribs were still sore but they felt a lot better than they had two days ago. She climbed into bed and fell fast asleep. She started to dream about herself arguing with her alter-ego. She banished both people in her dream and fell wordlessly into a deep sleep.

When morning came she hopped out of bed and jumped into the warm shower. She loved the feeling of the hot water cascading around her body. She quickly dressed into a purple tunic, a pair of leggings that she tucked into a pair of black boots, and threw a black scarf around her neck. She had to return to the hospital wing to let Madame Pomfrey check on her healing wounds. She knew that she healed very quickly and Madame Pomfrey's potions just added to the healing benefits.

"Madame Pomfrey?" Viviana called.

"Yes? Oh Viviana how are the ribs doing?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

"I think they're fine, they don't hurt nearly as much as they did originally." Viviana said.

"Well you seem fine, I'd say that you're ready to tackle your class room and anything else that comes your way." Madame Pomfrey said.

"Thank you, hopefully I won't be running down here as much throughout the semester." Viviana said. Viviana left the hospital wing and headed back to her quarters. When she got there she sat down at her desk and decided to write back to Charlie.

_Charlie-_

_I'm glad to hear that you're doing well. You don't have to apologize we're both adults. I will visit you some time this summer, whenever it works out for us. Romania seems like an interesting country and I'd like to see some of it. I have every one of your siblings in my class except for Percy, and they seem like they're really going to give me a run for my money. Harry seems a little put off, I think he's wondering why Sirius Black is so interested in him. I did a little research and it seems as though Sirius was friends with Harry's parents before he betrayed them. That's such a sad story, I'll be teaching alongside Remus Lupin this year, he seems very knowledgeable and very hard working, I think that'll be a good working relationship. I can see why you look at Hogwarts so fondly, it's really amazing here. I got a letter from Bill a few days ago, and I'm trying to help him with a few curses that are becoming a problem. Bill's keeping me on retainer, so technically I'm working two jobs now. Take care of yourself._

_Viviana_

When she finished writing her response to Charlie she sealed it and found Boomer asleep on her perch she attached the letter to her leg and watched Boomer fly off. Viviana knew she still had lesson plans to create for the rest of the school year, and a few other things that she had to accomplish before teaching this week. She knew Severus was going to be a great duelist and she needed to be prepared for it. A few hours went by before she yawned and decided to go for a quick run, she changed her clothes and ran around the outskirts of the castle. As the sun slowly started setting she could have sworn she saw a large dog on the edge of the forest. When she had glanced back she saw that the dog was gone. Dinner was over when she got back into the castle, she decided that taking a bath would be better than sitting at the dinner table by herself. When she finished it was later in the evening and she decided to turn in, tomorrow she would face Severus in a duel, along with the rest of her students. Before she knew it she was sound asleep with only a low whispering of the wind surrounding the castle.

**Alrighty! I'm sorry for the wait, I've been working like a house elf at work lately. I hope everyone has been in good health and that the universe is still providing for everyone. I'll probably update later this week =)**


	9. The Red Dawn

**Chapter 9: The Red Dawn**

**In this chapter you'll learn more about Viviana's past, she and Charlie also have a way of seeing each other again to iron out their problems. You'll see how Viviana developed as a person and why she is so guarded when it comes to her emotional ties to Charlie. I'd appreciate a few reviews, seriously, it would keep the story going knowing what everyone thinks =)**

When Viviana woke, she felt a deep calm take over her. She knew she was mentally and physically prepared to deal with the duel she set up with Severus. She was more worried that her talents would be leaked throughout the school. She knew that the Dark Lord already knew that she was at the school, but she didn't want him to come after her here. Severus seemed slightly worried that he would hunt her down regardless of where she was staying. Viviana slipped out of her bed and picked out her clothes. She wasn't going to conform and wear robes; she instead picked out a blood red long sleeved dress. It had slits on the side that went up to her mid thigh; she slipped into a pair of black leggings and added her black boots. She strapped her wand to her right arm, added a couple of knives and pulled her hair into a French twist before leaving her bedroom. When she sat down next to Remus in the Great Hall she noticed that every student was staring at her as the slowly filed into the Hall. Remus smiled lightly at their curiosity. He knew that having a new teacher show up between the fall and spring semesters would give them a lot of room to gossip. Albus stood and the chatter quieted immediately.

"It's wonderful to see everyone back, I have a few announcements to make. First of all let me introduce you to your new teacher, Viviana Valentine. She'll be teaching you a different type of defense and curse breaking working hand in hand with Professor Lupin. With that tuck in!" Albus said.

"So do you think you're ready for your class?" Remus asked.

"Yeah it shouldn't be different than anything I encountered when I was on the run. It might even be a little bit easier because I'm ready to accept that I'll be dueling." Viviana said as she nibbled on toast and her yogurt. "Will you be watching?"

"I heard you're doing it in the Hall, so probably. Word is that there are a lot of bets on your duel with Severus." Remus said.

"Really?" Viviana said smiling lightly.

"He's not exactly the most popular teacher here and I'm sure that there are a few students hoping you'll win." Remus said.

Albus once again stood and motioned for Viviana to stand as well.

"Professor Valentine has an announcement to make, please lend her your ears." Albus said.

"Good morning, I am Professor Valentine, and I'll be teaching a very different type of class at Hogwarts. My class will be very demanding, it's taught every day of the week. You'll be training early in the morning from 5-7 am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesdays and Thursdays you'll be here directly after dinner, class runs from 7-9 in the evenings. The morning classes will be mostly physical training, and I promise they won't interfere with your Quidditch practices. They will be tough, they won't be fun, and I will work you harder than you've ever been worked. Most magical people don't realize how much they use magic versus doing things the muggle way, you'll learn how to conceal yourself, disappear, track and attack. The classes on Tuesday and Thursday will be practical dueling, and class time. I'll expect nothing but the best from all of you. I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow evening if you plan on attending my class, wear something comfortable and meet in the Great Hall, Professor Snape and I have something planned for everyone that wishes to attend. You have until the end of the week to add or drop my class." Viviana said.

Breakfast was finished in silence, and Viviana bade Remus a good day before heading to her classroom. She had everything where she wanted it, and decided to just relax and wait for tomorrow before she would fully prepare for her duel with Severus in the Great Hall. She heard a fluttering of wings and saw Boomer flying above her before the falcon dove low and landed on her shoulder.

"Hey Boomer, did you have a nice flight? How's Charlie?" Viviana asked. The falcon bobbed her head and tucked herself closer to Viviana's neck. "Alright lets go upstairs feed you and I'll read the letter that you brought me."

Viviana sat down and opened the letter from Charlie at her desk. She noticed that it was a long one, and she knew she was in for a long night.

_Viv-_

_Thanks for writing back to me so quickly. I was a little afraid that you were still mad at me, and wouldn't reply at all. I have to be very honest with you, I'm pretty miserable without your company. I miss the feelings you give me; I miss waking up with you in my arms. I'm sorry for hurting you when I left. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I had to take the job that was offered to me. I can't explain why in this letter but I need to see you. I understand that we're countries apart but I'm off this weekend and I thought we could possibly meet at your home. I have to explain to you in person what a profound impact you've made on me, I feel like half of me is gone. _

_Work has been steady, some of the dragons in the area have gone missing and when we find them we noticed that they were torn apart for their organs or random parts. We think there's a team of poachers roaming around and we need to catch them. What they're doing is so wrong; it goes against everything everyone at the Reserve believes. I think we're close to finding them, with any luck we'll have them by the end of the week. _

_How's school going? I know your classes start this week, I'm anxious to see what you have planned. Bill told me that he heard a rumor that you're actually going to duel Snape. Best of luck there, he's a right git; but he's also very dangerous and proficient with his wand. Be safe and don't let anything happen to you. How's Harry doing? I'm sure he's worried about Sirius Black, but he'll do what's right. Offer him tutoring or just be someone he can talk to. I have to go the administrator is asking for me personally. _

_Best Thoughts-_

_Charlie_

_PS: Let me know if this weekend works for you._

Viviana read and re-read the letter that Charlie wrote. It bothered her; she didn't know what to tell him. She wanted to see him badly, but what could they really accomplish? He lived far away and already told her that she was too far away from them to have any sibilance of a relationship. She sighed and decided that she would agree to meet with him.

_Charlie-_

_You've given me a lot to think about. I'll be fine with the duel don't worry. I'll meet you this weekend, use your token to get there. I'll be there before dinner. Be safe._

_Viviana _

She sealed her letter and decided that she'd send it before she went to bed. Boomer was snoozing on her post and she knew that the falcon would need a few hours to rest before heading off again. Viviana hopped into the shower and let the warmth of the water soothe away her fears. Did she want to continue where she and Charlie left off? She didn't want to get the short end of the stick but she wanted him badly enough that it might be worth it. When she got out of the shower she heard a noise emanating from the fireplace. She saw Bill Weasley standing in the flames.

"Fuck Bill! What're you doing here?" Viviana exclaimed.

"I need to talk to you, would you mind if I popped in?" Bill asked.

"Sure, I'll grab some clothes and throw them on. Hang on." Viviana said as she pulled an emerald green tunic over her body, it covered her to mid thigh. "Alright I'm dressed hop on through."

"Thanks." Bill said as he dusted himself off. "So how are you?"

"Fine thanks, why are you here Bill?" Viviana asked.

"Direct much?" Bill asked as he stared at her. She was very pleasing to the eye, and he felt a pang of envy. He loved Fleur but he did occasionally miss being single, and he would've loved to have gotten to know her if he had been single. "I need to know what's going on between you and Charlie."

"Charlie's a grown man Bill. I think he can take care of himself." Viviana said as she sat down in an armchair.

"He's still my little brother, and I don't want him to fall into bad habits again." Bill said. He saw her sigh as she slowly crossed her legs. "Viviana you're incredibly talented and beautiful, he's a lucky man. What are you intentions with him?"

"He left me." Viviana said as she watched a look of shock cross Bill's face.

"When?" Bill asked.

"The day I moved here. He said he didn't want to start anything with me, he fucked me and left me." Viviana said. "I just got a letter from him, he wants to meet me this weekend."

"I'm sorry Viviana, I didn't know. Are you planning on meeting him?" Bill asked.

"It's fine. I did say I'd meet him. Honestly Bill your brother is an idiot." Viviana said.

"He's afraid of a relationship, his last one was pretty messed up. I'm not making excuses for him but that's probably why he's afraid of doing anything-long distance. I know he's in love with you, that's pretty clear." Bill said. "No offense but I didn't realize he was a 'love em and leave em' sort of guy, I knew he pulled that shite when he and Kate broke up but not with you. He brought you home, we all love you. I'll talk with him."

"Bill let him figure out what he wants, I appreciate it, but it's up to him." Viviana said.

"You're being very mature about this." Bill said.

"I'm trying, I love him. I'm not going to deal with his shit though. When we meet up it's do or die. I won't sit around waiting for him to make up his mind." Viviana said.

"Girlie you have balls. Well my jobs done, thanks for letting me visit. I'll be back tomorrow night to watch you duel." Bill said.

"Really? That means a lot to me Bill. Thanks." Viviana said she stood up and walked over to Bill.

"See you soon." Bill said as he pulled her into a deep hug. He kissed her forehead before he jumped into the flames.

Viviana woke up Boomer and attached her reply to her leg. Boomer shrieked and flew out of the window and into the night. With that being accomplished she hopped into bed and fell deep asleep. Knowing that she didn't have class in the morning Viviana slept deeply until lunchtime. She threw her running clothes and jogged around the castle until she felt her legs and lungs burning. She walked back to the castle as a cool down and walked into her bedroom before throwing off her clothes and showering. When she was done she changed and went down for dinner. She knew she wanted to eat lightly and decided on a chicken breast, green beans, and a few slices of wheat bread. She drank water as well to rehydrate herself for her duel later in the evening. When everyone was done eating she excused herself and walked to her classroom and changed into her gear. She had a pair black pants that tucked into her combat boots. She also had a tight vest on over a black t-shirt; she strapped her wand to her right forearm. She slipped a knife into her left holster and two into each boot. She added a few different potions and smoke grenades into the vest along with a tube of adrenaline. She knew that Severus wouldn't fight like her; she was considered a gutter duelist and used anything to win each time. Her hair was tightly braided and she pulled it up into her cap. As she walked into the Great Hall she noticed a few students openly staring at her and she heard faint whispers questioning what she was wearing. She waved her arms and the tables disappeared, she drew a large circle in the center of the room and added benches that the students could sit on. She saw Bill walk in with his siblings, Hermione, Harry and Oliver. They sat down and waited for everyone else to sit down as well. She noticed that there was a very large turnout; she knew most of the students wouldn't be taking her class but she smiled knowing that they wanted to see a good duel. She watched as the teachers all lined up at their table as well before she stood in front of Severus and bowed.

"Severus, thank you." Viviana said before she addressed everyone in the hall. Her voice was loud, clear and very crisp. "As you can see, I don't dress like a witch, I've adapted my outfit for a real battle. Robes get in the way in a fight and I need something I can easily move around in. I'm considered a gutter fighter because I don't solely rely on my magic to win a duel. I use knives, punches and other implements to win. I'll teach all of you to use these tools as well. Professor Snape will be assisting me tonight with a duel. It's a no hold no bar fight. I do not encourage any of you to _ever_ use some of the spells you will see tonight against each other while in school."

"Begin." Albus said.

Viviana and Severus circled each other and Severus made the first move. He waved his wand and issued a silent stunning spell. She waved her arm and dispelled it before it came within range of hitting her. She threw a few jinxes at him and watched him in utter fascination as he flung them back at her. They began working their magic faster and faster. Viviana was slowly stepping towards him and their spells were getting more and more vicious. He landed first blood and sliced open her left arm with a light curse, she smiled fatally and flung a throwing knife at him slicing through his robes and across his ribs. They both began circling each other and the cracks of magic and the bright flashes of spells flying illuminated the room.

"Merlin they're moving so fast!" Harry exclaimed.

"Harry they aren't moving as fast as they could, I've read reports on her dueling and she's not pushing herself nearly as hard as she could. She could have wiped the floor with him." Bill said.

"Viviana, are you sure you want to push this further, I can see the lust in your eyes, you enjoy battle." Severus said.

"How far should we take it?" Viviana asked. "I do lust for battle I was born for it."

"You could have easily defeated me already, you have more tricks up your sleeve than many I've encountered." Severus said as he narrowly deflected an electricity spell she shot at him, he cast a spell that engulfed her with rope made out of fire.

Viviana cast a spell a split second before the rope took her and shattered the fire ropes by turning them into ice. She threw a powder at the floor and the room started to haze up with smoke. She moved silently towards Severus before whispering into his ear, "Severus I have you. Do you declare that I win this duel?"

"You win." Severus said. The smoke cleared and everyone saw that she held him with a knife against his throat and a wand over his heart. They were both bleeding; Viviana had a few cuts from the ice slicing through her flesh. Her arm was bleeding freely, and there were a few holes in her clothing. Severus was also dripping blood onto the floor but he looked less hurt than she did. They listened as everyone was clapping loudly; they intertwined their hands and bowed to everyone in the room.

"That was a wonderful display of skills!" Albus said. "Everyone should take note that they both showed bravery, courage under fire, and two very different styles of dueling. Viviana is a fierce and creative duelist and Severus is a calm and calculated duelist. Use this event tonight to think of how you would handle a situation like this. Everyone's dismissed please head to your separate houses."

"Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it Severus." Viviana said. "You're very talented, I've got to mop myself up."

"You're welcome, it felt good to duel a worthy opponent. I look forward to seeing you in action again." Severus said before walking off.

Viviana brought the usual tables into the Great Hall and vanish the benches that had been set up. She also cleaned up the blood on the floor before walking over to Bill. He looked awe struck, and she smiled at him.

"How did I do?" Viviana asked.

"Merlin woman. You're a hellcat. Where did you learn to duel like that?" Bill asked.

"The academy taught me, and my professor had joined the Special Forces before going back to his magical roots." Viviana said smiling at Bill. "He was a vicious teacher but I am thankful every day for the wisdom and knowledge that he gave me."

"Is he still teaching in America?" Bill asked and realized as soon as he asked it was the wrong thing to say he saw her shudder and frown.

"He's dead Bill. He gave his life to protect me." Viviana said. She withdrew a necklace from her shirt it was a simple locket when she opened it a hologram popped up with his picture in it. He looked to be in his early thirties with bright blue eyes, and light blond hair. He had a scar running across his cheekbone and one across his throat. In the photo he was smiling down at her as he held her in his arms. "His name was Dimitri Solovich. He was one of the deadliest men I have ever met and also one of the strongest."

"Sorry Viv didn't know." Bill said.

"It's okay, how long are you staying?" Viviana asked as she walked out of the Great Hall with him. "Would you like to have a drink with me?"

"Sure, I'll floo from your apartment." Bill said. "Were you romantically involved with him?"

"Dimitri? Yeah." Viviana said quietly.

"He would've been a decade older than you." Bill said surprised. He held the door to her apartment open and watched as she poured two glasses of whiskey. He took one and smiled.

"Yeah. I know Bill. We fell in love while he was training me. He was always pushing me to be stronger, harder and better. One night when we were training he dislocated my shoulder and instead of me being pissed I kissed him fully on the lips. I used it as my distraction and ended up on top of him. He was surprised to say the least. He wasn't expecting me to push past the pain and kiss him." Viviana said.

"You must have a thing for older men." Bill said.

"Always have." Viviana said as she downed her drink and poured them another. "He was really good to me, he taught me everything I know. He died not too long ago. About six months before I met you."

"How. How did he die?" Bill asked. He watched as she started into her glass, he could tell that it hurt her to think about it.

"He died because of my failure." Viviana said. "We had been setting up safe homes across the globe, we returned to one that we had set up in Italy a group of Death Eaters were waiting for us, they threw curse after curse at us, and over powered us. They tortured us, and I escaped and freed him. He was gravely injured; they had nearly bled him to death. I remember his eyes they were so bright and happy when he saw my face. I sobbed as I held him dying in my arms, I couldn't do anything for him. If I had been more careful, I would have noticed that my wardings had been tampered with. That night he had proposed, I let my emotions get the best of me, and it cost him his life. We were similar enough to know that our lives were constantly in danger, and we had a bounty on our lives as well. I warned Charlie that I was dangerous, it's not just because I'm being hunted, I'm not really okay. I'm like a puzzle piece that's not meant to fit, but it's been cut down and fixed to be mashed into the wrong puzzle."

"Did you tell Charlie about him?" Bill asked.

"You're the first person I've told about him." Viviana said.

"Do you love Charlie?" Bill asked.

"With all my heart." Viviana said. "I'd die before they hurt him. I've learned from my past and I won't let anyone hurt Charlie the way they hurt Dimitri or my brother."

"That's all I can ask." Bill said. "Charlie isn't used to the idea of you being so strong, he's very independent and I know you are as well. It'll be a shock to him that you're used to taking care of yourself. His ex was very stuck up and wanted him to do whatever she wanted to do. You're the complete opposite."

"I try. I'm complicated." Viviana said smiling. She set her empty glass down and smiled at Bill. "You don't want to be late getting home, Fleur will worry you know."

"Don't I ever. She wanted to know if sometime you'd want to come over for dinner with Charlie." Bill asked.

"If we work out what we're going through then I'm sure we'll be over." Viviana said as she cast a fire charm into the fireplace. "Thank you Bill."

"You're welcome Viv, I'm here for you." Bill said as he hugged her against him. He felt her sigh deeply before feeling her slip something into his pocket. "What was that?"

"My work that I completed for you. And a little surprise." Viviana said, she pulled out of his embrace and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Tell Fleur I said hello."

"Will do, sweet dreams." Bill said before hopping into the flames.

Viviana quickly sent her letter to Charlie and curled up tightly in bed. She wanted this week to fly by so she could figure out what was going between the two of them. She remembered the way he smelled the warmth he gave off. It had been bliss when they had been together; something about the two of them made her just melt. She looked over to her nightstand and saw the holo of Dimitri and herself. Seeing how happy they were made her choke up, she didn't want to be in the same position with Charlie, he wasn't ready to face what she and Dimitri had faced together. She had a death mark on her record and that would give Charlie the same status. She remembered a conversation she had with Dimitri the day that she watched him die. He had just proposed in their favorite restaurant and they decided to walk towards the small forest that was near their home:

"_Viviana if anything happens to me, save yourself." Dimitri said as he held her in his arms._

"_Why? Why would you ask that of me!" Viviana said._

"_Your life is worth more than mine, promise me this." Dimitri said as he ran his fingers across her engagement band. He wasn't sure when he picked out the ring if it was the right decision. He knew they were both in danger but together they might make it._

"_No, I will not make such a stupid promise Dimitri, your life is worth the same as mine, and you mean more to me." Viviana said as she pulled away from him. _

"_Viviana. Stop you're being childish. You have many things to accomplish in your life. I have lived longer than you." Dimitri said as he stroked her face lightly. "You must promise me this. That if I fall, you will pick yourself back up and fight those that have harmed us."_

"_I promise to avenge you should anything happen to you. I will not leave you to save myself. I would fight until the bitter end. Better I die in your arms than at the hands of the sadistic bastards that are chasing us." Viviana said as she kissed him gently._

"_I will accept this." Dimitri said has he held her lovingly in his arms. "Little one, you're my hellcat aren't you? Always jumping into a fight even though you know you're out numbered."_

"_You told me size, numbers and muscle don't matter in a fight. All that matters is being faster, smarter, and deadlier than your opponent. I have nothing to lose but you, I would fight like a possessed fury if I saw you hurt." Viviana said._

"_I love you little one. But' devushkoi uverenoi v sebe, V svoej bor'be, v trope svoej, v sub'be. V tolpe derzhis', kak budto ty odna, Kak budto ty Boginej rozhdena! Moya lubimaya Valya." Dimitri said in his native Russian tongue. He handed her a box with the locket in it and smiled at her. "So you always have proof that I will always be yours, happy and safe in your heart."_

"_Moya lubimaya Dimitri." Viviana said as they kissed._

_**** Translation: Be a self-confident girl, in your fight, in your way, in your fate. Be like you are the only one in the whole crowd, like you were born a goddess. My beloved Valentine.****_

Viviana held the locket he had given to her against her chest. She bit back a sob thinking about how much they had loved and trusted each other. He had been the first man she loved since she escaped her family and her ex-fiancé. Now he was gone, and Charlie was in his place. Would Dimitri approve of him? Would he think that Charlie could protect her and love her as much or more than he did? Sighing Viviana curled up in a ball and felt the memories of Dimitri and her past wash over her.

Charlie stood looking in the mirror; he had on a pair of clean jeans and some muggle band shirt he found at a swap market. He pulled on his heavy coat, his backpack with all of his possessions in it and grasped the small charm that hung around his neck. He felt himself being pulled to her safe house in Ireland. He couldn't believe that it was the weekend, and that Viviana agreed to meet him, he knew that he wanted to explain why he left and what he was going to be doing. He was nervous that she wouldn't take him back, even though he managed to convince his boss that it would work out better if he could work at the Reserve in England. He knocked softly on the door before he saw the door flung open. Viviana stood there with a shadow of a smile on her face. She looked beautiful, she had on an emerald dress that was thigh length and her hair fell in soft waves down her back. Her sparkling amethyst eyes were smiling at him and he leaned forward and picked her up in his arms. He took in the scent of her body, citrus, clove, star anise, and caramel. Marveling over the fact that so many scents clung to her body.

"Viv, god I'm so happy to see you." Charlie said smiling as he set her down.

"Hello Charlie, why don't you come in? I made dinner, thinking that you'd be hungry." Viviana said.

"You didn't have to do that, I knew you probably ate something at dinner, but I appreciate it." Charlie said as he followed her into the house. It smelled like lasagna and garlic bread. "Did you make lasagna?"

"Your nose knows! I did make lasagna and garlic bread, I knew you liked it. I didn't eat at dinner I thought it would be better if we ate together." Viviana said as she started plating their meals up in the kitchen. She sat down at the table and Charlie soon followed her. "So what's on your mind Charlie?"

"I wanted to see you to apologize in person. I was being a prick, I'm sorry that I left you the way I did." Charlie said as he took a bite of the lasagna, he groaned it tasted perfect. "I missed you, I felt empty without you."

"Thank you for the apology, I guess we both could have handled it better." Viviana said smiling at him, she enjoyed watching him plow through his first slice of the lasagna. "From your expression you must hate the lasagna."

"Oh yeah, blood awful." Charlie said smirking. "Really thank you for dinner, I appreciate it. I have to tell you something."

"Alright, I'm prepared." Viviana said.

"I found a different job, in England." Charlie said, he watched a look of surprise take over her face. "I'll be working on the Reserve in England now, got a pay raise and I'll be living closer to you. So what I'm saying is did you want to start this over?"

Charlie watched her face patiently waiting for her response. He saw her chew her food slowly before answering.

"Charlie we need to talk about a few things, they aren't things I wanted to talk to you about yet, but Bill told me that you should know." Viviana said. "Before I met you or Bill or anyone here I had been living and constantly training with my mentor Dimitri Solovich. He was a Russian American that had joined the Special Forces after he graduated from Drumstang, when he was done with that he taught. He taught me how to fight, to be ruthless, cunning and logical. He made me into the weapon and fighter I am today, I owe my life to him."

"Where is he now?" Charlie asked. He felt jealous that she spoke so passionately about Dimitri. Is this how she spoke of him? He could tell that there was a deep connection between the two of them, something he would never have with her.

"Dead." Viviana said sadly, the remorse, pain and heart wrenching tone she said that single word with broke Charlie's heart. "He died six months or so before I met you. He died in my arms in Italy. I remember every detail, we had just finished dinner at our favorite restaurant, he had proposed. We were walking through the forest near our house talking about the future and what promises we would make for each other. When we got home we were ambushed. We both had a bounty on our heads, and the Death Eaters were there to collect it, for days they tortured us, beat us and abused us. I have a knack for escaping and I did, I slaughtered those that had hurt us but it was too late for him. They had slowly bled him dry, he was still alive as I held him in my arms, he smiled at me and told me he was proud of me, that he loved me. I buried him the next morning in the forest."

"Viviana, I'm so sorry." Charlie said, he looked at her and watched as she pulled out a locket and an engagement ring. He took both possessions and opened the locket, inside was a beautiful holograph of Dimitri holding Viviana in his arms, they were smiling and they looked happy. Charlie realized in that second that she smiled like that when she was with him, it gave him a fleeting moment of hope. Her engagement ring was a work of art, it was two thin bands of platinum woven around a blood ruby as big as his fingernail, with a trail of diamonds circling the ruby and the bands of platinum. It was something Charlie could afford now, but would cost him a years worth of pay. "Damn! That's one hell of an engagement ring."

Viviana laughed lightly. "Charlie, Dimitri made a lot of money in his lifetime, yet another burden he gave me was his money, he left me a decent sized fortune. Before he joined the Special Forces he came from a very wealthy Russian family. His father was a muggle and his mother was a witch. They were in the oil business and profited greatly from that. Dimitri was an only child and he grew up wanting for nothing. This ring was his mothers engagement ring."

"I didn't realize that you had been engaged twice." Charlie said. He didn't know what he was supposed to say. He knew why she was so hesitant and afraid to jump into anything with him, but he still had to prove his point. "Viviana I love you, I hope you know that."

"Charlie I do understand, do you understand the point of me telling you about Dimitri?" Viviana asked.

"You're proving yet again that I'm not worthy to be your boyfriend or anything else. He was a badass I get that, and he died." Charlie said angrily.

"Charlie!" Viviana said she looked incredibly hurt. "That's not why I told you that, I told you about him because I wanted you to realize the danger I'll put you in. Do you understand that?"

"Yeah I do." Charlie said bashfully, he realized his outburst was childish and probably hurt her a great deal. He stood up with Viviana and sorted the dishes and put the left overs into the fridge. He followed her mutely into the living room and sat down with her. "Viviana I don't know what you want from me."

"Charlie I need you to be honest with me, what happened between you and Kate."? Viviana asked. She knew she dropped a huge bomb on him.

"Kate and I met on the reserve. We dated for a while, I fell in love and I thought she loved me just as much. There were times where I was gone because of work, and I knew we were fighting a lot. I came home one night early with flowers to apologize for our last fight, when I got home I walked in on her getting fucked by a guy I thought was my friend. I left her and haven't looked back." Charlie said.

"Well, that explains a few things." Viviana said, she knew why he was afraid of a long distance relationship. "I'm willing to try this if you are. We'll have to compromise."

"Viv, thank you. Thank you for understanding." Charlie said as he picked her up in his arms. "I can't promise that everything will be perfect but I promise that I won't leave you like I did before and I promise to stick things out through the bitter end."

Charlie carried her to the bedroom and sat her on the bed. He watched as she slowly kicked off her high heels stood up and turned around. He walked over to her and slowly unzipped her silk dress it pooled at her feet and all Charlie saw her standing in were her thigh highs, a garter belt, a silk thong and a silk bra. His sharp intake of breath let Viviana know he was appreciating the view. She turned around and saw him pull off his shirt, his jeans were low on his hip bones and she knelt down in front of him and slowly began licking and kissing along his hips and lower until she reached his zipper. She slowly unzipped it and unbuttoned his jeans. She pulled them down along with his boxers and slowly slid him into her mouth. She gazed upwards and saw that his eyes were closed as she slowly began to stroke, lick and suck his cock.

"Fuck." Charlie said slowly, he was immensely enjoying the feeling of her lips; tongue and hand work him to his full length. "Viv, god I love it when you do that."

Viviana began teasing him with her hands and mouth, she would stroke, suck and lick him quickly and then slowly bring him back down. She could feel herself getting incredibly wet just by pleasuring Charlie. She enjoyed feeling his hands in her hair, and she enjoyed listening to the moans of pleasure that he was producing. She felt him tighten his muscles in his legs and stomach before quickly releasing himself into her mouth. She swallowed and stood up before him.

"I wasn't expecting that. Honestly." Charlie said as he sat down on the bed. He pulled her down onto the bed, and he watched as she curled up against his chest.

"I missed you too Charlie." Viviana said softly. She felt his fingers lightly trace her skin as the rubbed slow circles across her back and up and down her legs.

"You're so beautiful. Like a dark angel." Charlie said as he leaned down and kissed her passionately. They kissed for a while, holding each other tightly, before finally relaxing and falling asleep in each other's arms.

**So what did everyone think? I promised that Charlie and Viviana would weave in and out of each other's lives! I'll probably be writing more off and on, hopefully I can update tonight or Monday. Let me know what you think R&R.**


	10. Calling the Kettle Black

Chapter 10: Calling the Kettle Black

**A huge thank you and a pat on the back to Amberdee1219 for your clear and concise review, it really meant a lot to me =) I have been trying to update this story for a few days, and unfortunately there has been some problems with the site. epic fail. I'm developing the characters a little bit further, especially the relationship dynamics that will really be important later on. I'd appreciate a few reviews, it would make my day =)**

Charlie and Viviana work up early the next morning, curled up in each other's arms. Charlie smiled at Viviana's sleeping form, slowly running his fingers through her hair and across her upper back. He leaned down and kissed her forehead and watched as she whimpered in her sleep. He thought about everything they had talked about the night before, he knew that she wasn't like Kate and he wouldn't come home one day to find her in the arms of another man. She was honest, pure and perfect. Charlie heard a soft hooting at the window and saw that poor Errol was desperately trying to get into the window. Charlie slowly slid out of bed and walked over to the window to let the incredibly ancient owl in. He carried Errol into the kitchen and set him on the kitchen table with a small bowl of water and some food. He saw that the letter that Errol brought was addressed to Viviana and not to him. Frowning he argued with himself about opening it. He knew it was his mother's handwriting, and he wondered if they conversed regularly, it wasn't something that she had ever mentioned. Charlie broke through the seal and read the letter.

_Viviana-_

_I hope Errol reaches you in time; he is a bit old and does have trouble finding his destinations. If you're not at Hogwarts you're probably off globetrotting. Bill told me about your problems with my son. It pains me to acknowledge that he has an issue with being tied down. Don't take it personally, Charlie had a terrible break up that left him quite broken, his last girl friend was a wretch and if I had my chance I would gladly pay her a visit she soon wouldn't forget. You're the first girl he's brought home, and it was wonderful getting to know you. I know he's seen other women but he hasn't connected with them as he did with you. I'm asking you to please go easy on him and be patient. Charlie is like my brothers, incredibly passionate, brilliant and kind; with that being said he also shares their temper, shortsightedness, and he will tend to jump into situations without knowing the consequences. I can tell that he fell in love with you, he's written home about you, and I can just see that he is very passionate about you. Give him a chance; it will be worth it in the end, that's not just coming from me as his mother, it's also coming woman to woman. If you were free for the upcoming Easter holidays we'd love to see you at the Burrow. I hope that the boys and Ginny are behaving, best of luck._

_With Love-_

_Molly Weasley_

Charlie stood in shock, he felt a bit put off knowing that Bill talked to his mother about his problems with Viviana. It pissed him off more that Bill and Viviana were talking about him. Not a single person had any reason to speak about their personal affairs but the two of them! Charlie quickly, and carefully folded up the letter and waved his wand over the wax to reseal it. He started a pot of coffee for Viviana and a pot of tea for himself. Errol looked quite comfortable sleeping on the table, he laid out a few pieces of fresh fruit and he started on a couple omelets. Charlie heard Viviana stir from the bedroom; he knew she was an incredibly light sleeper.

"Charlie?" Viviana said as she yawned. She had thrown on his t-shirt instead of her own clothes. She walked over to Charlie and leaned in and kissed the middle of his back. "Are you making us breakfast?"

"Yes love, I thought you might be hungry." Charlie said with a smile. "My mother sent you a letter."

"Really? Did you read it?" Viviana asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.

Charlie stood at the stove and grimaced, he could lie to her and tell her that he hadn't opened it, but he knew that she would be able to tell if he was lying. _Honesty is the best policy Charlie, even if that means you get into trouble._ Charlie remembered his father saying this to him as a small child. He sighed and looked over at Viviana, he noticed that her eyes were bright and she had a smile on her face.

"Yes, I read it and re-sealed it." Charlie said, he was expecting her to yell or fume about it. Instead she sat there shock still.

"Charlie I assumed you read it, if I was in your shoes I'd probably have read it too." Viviana said with a light laugh. "Now that I've read it what should we write back?"

Charlie nearly inhaled his tea as he choked on it, "What do you mean, we should write back?"

"Well you're staying with me this weekend, should we tell her that we're going to see her for Easter? Or that we're together? Or anything?" Viviana asked.

"Yes, yes, and maybe." Charlie answered. He flipped the omelets and set them on a large plate. "Breakfast is served."

"Thanks Charlie, you're the best." Viviana said as she took his hand in hers and kissed his palm. "Why don't we see what your families doing tomorrow and go and visit, we can break the news in person."

"You're acting as though I proposed." Charlie said, he didn't forget that they had all gone behind his back and discussed him. He looked up from his meal and saw that his words had hurt her more than he intended to.

"Right." Viviana said. She eyed her meal, took a few bites and started working on the dishes. The silence was so thick in the kitchen a knife wouldn't have been able to slice through it. _Clearly he's pissed about something, did it have to do with what the letter said regarding him? Is he mad that Bill and I are friends or the fact that his mother personally wrote me a letter trying to help us out? What did I do wrong?_ She stood there letting the hot water soak the dishes, she wasn't paying attention to the knife in the soapy water and didn't realize that she had squeezed down on the blade until she felt the sharp bite of the blade in her skin. "Fuck!"

Charlie looked over and saw her hand gushing blood. He stood up to help her and she turned her back to him. _Well I guess I deserved that._ He grabbed a spare hand towel and gently wrapped her hand up. He saw hurt in her eyes, and he knew it wasn't from slicing her hand open. It was because of the way he spoke to her.

"Charlie the bleeding will stop you can let go of my hand. I'm going to shower I'll be out in a few minutes." Viviana said as she pulled her hand out of his and walked into the bathroom. Her heart felt heavy, he had insinuated that she was acting like they would get married, and he would propose when in fact he had no intentions of doing that. She felt a piece of her break. She stepped into the shower and felt the warmth of the water soak away the blood on her hand, and the heaviness in her heart. When she got out of the shower Charlie was waiting for his turn, he walked into the shower without a word and shut the door. Viviana went about her normal routine; she got dressed and decided to floo call Molly. "Molly?"

"Oh Viviana did you get the letter?" Molly asked.

"Uh, actually Charlie read it before I did." Viviana said.

"Charlie's with you? Really?" Molly asked.

"Yeah, he woke up before me, and read the letter. He's in the shower now, but I don't think that he's incredibly happy with you, Bill or myself." Viviana said.

"Oh, well that's not surprising. Knowing Charlie he thinks we've been gossiping like hens behind his back." Molly said.

"Well I spoke to Bill a couple times, I think you knew that, but I haven't spoken badly about him I wish he understood that." Viviana said.

"I did warn you in that letter that he tends to jump to conclusions when he gets mad, after all he is like my brothers." Molly said.

"I wanted to visit you and tell you that we were together and he said, '_why it's not like I proposed or anything'_." Viviana said.

"He didn't! Oh he's being such a stubborn ass." Molly said. "Try and talk to him okay?"

"Will do, he's about to hop out of the shower I've got to go." Viviana said. "Thanks Molly I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome dear, good luck!" Molly said before disappearing into the green flames.

Viviana sat down and started grading the homework that the students had given her throughout the week. A lot of what she saw seemed like they were bouncing ideas off of each other. Some of the ideas were great, and others seemed like easy lazy answers. A few minutes later Charlie walked into the room wrapped only in a towel. Beads of water were dripping down his well-sculpted upper body. Viviana whistled softly.

"Wow, you look. Yum." Viviana said as she stood up. Any of the anger that Charlie looked like it had been washed away in the shower. She wrapped her arms around Charlie's neck and he picked her up in his arms. "Are you still mad at me?"

"I don't think I was ever really mad at you, or Bill or my Mum." Charlie said. "I was really mad at myself for letting it go so far as to affect you, Bill was just being supportive and my Mum doesn't want me to end up dating a row of slag's again."

Viviana blushed slightly hearing whom he had dated in the past. "Charlie what type of women did you date in the past?"

"That's not something I want to talk about Viv, I'm not exactly proud of who I saw while attending Hogwarts, or who I saw after leaving school." Charlie said. "Putting it nicely I slept around, I was careful about it, but I still slept around. Kate was my first serious girl friend."

"I see." Viviana said. "Well that's all in the past, it doesn't matter any longer."

"Well you took that in stride." Charlie said as he kissed her gently.

"Think about it logically, when am I ever going to see one of the girls you used to date?" Viviana said.

"Don't jinx it, I'd hate to run into any of them." Charlie said with a slight shudder. "I'm more concerned with you, keeping you around. Did you still want to go to dinner at my parents home?"

"Charlie we don't have to." Viviana said.

"I'm sure that would make them happy, why don't we fire call Bill and Fleur, and my parents and see if we can all get together." Charlie said. "I have to show you off some how."

"You fire call, I have to finish grading these papers." Viviana said as she lightly kissed Charlie's forehead.

"Sounds like a deal, then I can break the good news to my family about taking the job here." Charlie said. He watched Viviana walk back to the bedroom where the desk was and he heard her sigh as she read though the papers her students had written. He didn't envy her the task of actually grading any of the papers either. "Mom?"

"Charlie! It's nice to see you, what've you been doing?" Molly asked. She pretended that she didn't know he was with Viviana.

"I'm closer to home, and I wondered if you would want to do a small family dinner." Charlie asked, he saw his mothers face light up brighter than a Christmas tree.

"Oh that would be nice! I'd love to see you and Viviana and I'm sure Bill and Fleur would like to come over. When did you want to come over?" Molly asked. She silently was cheering in her head because she knew that Viviana must have gotten through to him some how.

"Well when do you normally have Bill and Fleur over?" Charlie asked.

"Sunday's for the most part, but Bill mentioned having a dinner over here tonight. Fleur has a lot of work to do at the office." Molly said. "Would 5 o'clock work?"

"Sure Mum, that sounds great. Should we bring anything over?" Charlie asked.

"No dear, I'm thrilled that you're coming. Charlie, I did want to say how happy I am you and Viviana worked things out. I really like her and I have a good feeling about her." Molly said to her son. She could tell that Charlie was blushing, and smiling from ear to ear.

"I really lucked out with her Mum, she's an amazingly patient woman, and she's really a gem." Charlie said smiling at Molly's approval. "We'll see you tonight, she'll probably want to bring dessert, unless you plan on making your world famous chocolate cake, I'll convince her that she really doesn't need to bring anything then."

"Okay chocolate cake it is, anything for you dear. Tell her I said hello and that we can't wait to see her again." Molly said.

"Love you Mum, and we'll see you soon." Charlie said before vanishing the fire in the fireplace. He walked back into the bedroom where Viviana was grading the papers. She had most of them done but was frowning at the one she was currently reading.

"I swear Charlie these kids aren't applying themselves. They keep saying the same things over and over. Hermione is one of the only ones that actually seem to understand it. Ginny too, Harry and Ron are great in a practical exam but this paper writing isn't their forte." Viviana said. "At least I'm done grading them, thank goddess that they're done."

Charlie leaned in and started rubbing her shoulders, he heard her sigh with contentment. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her back over to the bed. He saw her smile mischievously as he leaned in and kissed her.

"Viv, Mum wants us over there around 5, we have a few hours to kill. Have any suggestions?" Charlie asked.

"Well I did want to start doing my lesson plans, but those could wait until tomorrow." Viviana said as she kissed him lightly on the collarbone.

"Would you like to go for a quick fly?" Charlie asked. He loved how passionate she was, the feeling of her body pressed so closely against him filled him with a sense of contentment.

"Sure, are you prepared to get buzzed?" Viviana asked.

"No offense love, but I doubt your skills are up to par." Charlie said teasingly.

"I wanted you to know that I am in excellent physical shape!" Viviana said. "I used to be a seeker too."

"I know that you're in excellent shape, you're very fit. I've felt you up enough." Charlie said.

"Okay Charlie, you're about to get your ass handed to you." Viviana said as she leaned in and kissed him. She started taking off her clothes before she felt Charlie's hands start to roam across her body.

"I love it when you're naked." Charlie said as he nuzzled closely to her neck.

"You're such a man!" Viviana said. "Where's your club that you're going to bonk me over the head with and drag me back to your cave?"

"Well I could always drag you back to bed and we can worry about flying later." Charlie said as he cupped her breasts in his hands.

"You just want to mess around because you don't want to get shown up by a girl." Viviana said. She grabbed a pair of her running shorts and a tank top before she threw on a black flying jacket.

"No, I'd rather get my work out between the sheets and your svelte body." Charlie said.

"Well you can do that before we shower after I'm done kicking your butt, and lucky for you I have a snitch. Grab one of the bats and I'll also release the bludgers when we're outside." Viviana said.

"If I win, I get to tease you as long as I want tonight." Charlie said.

"What do I get if I win?" Viviana asked.

"What do you want?" Charlie asked, he saw a look of utter concentration pass over her face and he could tell she was actually thinking of something more serious then sex.

"I want you to promise me that you'll take a vacation with me. Anywhere we decide on." Viviana said.

"Viv, I don't know my work schedule yet." Charlie said as he threw his clothes on.

"But honey, I really want to visit the States and I'd love it if you came with me." Viviana said as she fake pouted.

"Okay, we'll figure it out love. Ready to lose?" Charlie said.

"Ready to win, yes. Yes I am good sir." Viviana said as they walked out towards the back yard. Viviana let the bludgers loose as well as the snitch. She levitated two golden hoops on opposite sides and tossed the quaffle to Charlie.

Charlie maneuvered around the bludgers that were trying to take his head off, and avoid Viviana as well. He went to throw the quaffle into the hoop but missed as Viviana dove for the quaffle he looked throughout the sky for the snitch. He was bound and determined to win this short match. He didn't see the glint of gold, but his curiosity got the better of him and he almost took a bludger to the side of the head, his quick thinking saved him from a concussion. He watched as Viviana viciously smacked an oncoming bludger towards Charlie and she easily scored a goal. The quaffle centered itself in the middle of the make shift pitch and Charlie swooped in to claim it, he heard the crack of Viviana's bat as she knocked a bludger just over his head, when he ducked she slammed into him and grabbed the quaffle from him. He couldn't believe he fell for that trick! He was more angry at himself but it just added fuel to the fire, he had to win now. He let her score and pretended to watch her slyly flying continious figure eights around the field, he thought he caught a glimpse of gold but it vanished before his eyes. Out of no where Viviana dove to the ground and Charlie followed her, he wasn't sure if she we feinting seeing the snitch or if she really saw it. Either way he had a few contingency plans of winning; either by knocking her out of the way, or tripping her up during her dive. She got closer and closer to the ground, 20, 15, 10, 5 feet, before pulling up. Viviana narrowly missed getting hit by both bludgers and she felt Charlie at her back, she knew that he wouldn't be so easily fooled by a feint but it was worth a shot. She still hadn't seen the snitch the entire time that they had been out there. They both tossed the quaffle back and forth and finally touched down.

"Viv, are you sure you let the snitch go?" Charlie asked. "We haven't seen it the entire time we've been playing."

"Charlie I let it go. I don't know where the damn thing is." Viviana said. "Accio snitch!"

When the snitch failed to appear she shrugged. Charlie scanned the tree line and didn't see anything. He walked over to her and kissed her strait on the lips.

"Well I guess this is a draw. Should we just go in and shower?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah I guess so. It kinda bothers me that we didn't find it." Viviana said. "You go inside, I'll be there soon."

"Viv, just come inside, we'll find it tomorrow." Charlie said as he slowly pulled her into his arms.

"Charlie just let me check my wardings okay? If a snitch could get out, something or someone could get in." Vivivana said.

Charlie sighed and walked towards the house alone. _She's so bloody paranoid. I guess I would be too if my life was destroyed by dark magic. She just takes everything so seriously. It's like she can't relax. She doesn't trust me enough to keep her safe. _Charlie knew that it wasn't the fact that she was so paranoid, it was the fact that she couldn't accept that he would do anything to keep her safe that bothered him. He knew that she could take care of herself, she was a very strong woman, but being strong didn't mean she had to face everything alone. It wasn't like it was her wits against the world. In time he hoped that she would understand that.

In the mean time Viviana checked the wardings that she had put up and didn't sense that they had been tampered with. They seemed as strong as ever, she didn't feel like she was in danger, but she wanted to double check everything. She slowly recast every blood spell and safe guarding spell she could think of. She made sure that her home was still unplottable, undetectable and unmarked. When she was sure that everything was normal she walked back to the house. She heard Charlie undressing in the bed room and she snuck in silently. She loved how tan, and well toned he was. He was so physically appealing, and it drove her a little crazy how amazing he was. As she slowly snuck up on him she reached out and slowly traced the lines of his shoulder blades and down his spine. She enjoyed watching him shiver with pleasure.

"Miss me?" Viviana said coyly.

"Yes. Did you find the little bugger?" Charlie asked.

"Nope, we better shower quickly I wouldn't want to be late to one of your families dinners." Viviana said as she stripped off her clothes and threw them into the dirty laundry bag.

"Okay, fair enough. Are you sure we don't have a little extra time?" Charlie asked.

"Charlie we never have a little extra time, we need a few hours, and we can do that all day tomorrow." Viviana said as she pulled him into the bathroom.

"This is true." Charlie said as he leaned down and kissed her. "I love the way your cheeks are flushed."

"I love the way you love things about me." Viviana said with a short laugh. "Wow that sounded cheesy."

"Yeah but it's my kind of line you silly bird." Charlie said.

They enjoyed soaping each other up, and Charlie tried to behave. It was incredibly hard to just enjoy the shower though, Viviana naked and wet was very high on his list of things he enjoyed. When they finished showering Charlie watched her pick out an outfit to wear over to his families home.

"Charlie, navy or slate gray?" Viviana asked holding up a very short slate colored dressed, or a long backless navy dress.

"Damn, that's a hard choice. Go with the navy colored one, I'll enjoy stroking your back when I can." Charlie said. He grabbed a clean pair of jeans, along with a dark red button down shirt. He rolled the cuffs of the shirt up and smiled as he watched Viviana braid her long, silky hair. "You look beautiful by the way."

"And you look rustically handsome. I see your new scars, and don't think I didn't notice that new tattoo Charlie." Viviana said as she finished French braiding her hair.

"So you did see that." Charlie said as he blushed. "I was hoping to explain that."

"And why did you get a new tattoo?" Viviana asked as she slowly ran her fingers across his left shoulder blade.

"I was quite pissed, and a few of the blokes I work with made fun of me saying that my life revolved around dragons and getting ass. They said that I didn't have any tattoos representing what I did and they dared me to either get another tattoo or find some random bird to take home with me." Charlie said. He watched Viviana's face, he couldn't read the emotions that flew through her eyes.

"So you got a tattoo because your friends sad that all you do is get ass and tame dragons." Viviana said.

"Um, I guess so." Charlie said.

"Charlie were you seeing anyone else after you left England?" Viviana asked.

"Well." Charlie said. Technically he didn't date anyone besides Viviana. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean by not exactly?" Viviana said. "Were you, or weren't you with anyone else?"

"I didn't date anyone when I left." Charlie said feeling a hot flush creep up his neck. He thought about the girl he met at one of the bars he started going to. He had been confused at where he and Viviana stood, he hadn't talked to her since they stopped seeing each other and it bothered him. He knew that she had wanted more than what he offered her, but he was cowardly and he left. Charlie stood there and looked into Viviana's eyes, they were devoid of any emotion she looked like a living statue.

"Did you sleep with someone else Charlie?" Viviana asked. She could see the red flush of his embarrassment, and she the sadness in his eyes.

"Yes. I slept with someone." Charlie said feeling the shame wash over him.

"I see. Well at least your honest." Viviana said. "When did you meet her?"

"I met her a week after I arrived there." Charlie said. He felt like he was being interrogated. "Viv, I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if we were still together."

"I'm glad you were honest with me." Viviana said. "Remus and I kissed. After you left we got pissed and kissed."

"Did you sleep with him?" Charlie asked. He felt hollow, he looked at her, she looked like a goddess made of ice.

"No we kissed twice that's all." Viviana said. "Honestly we were both drunk, and we ended up kissing. He left and that was that."

"One good turn deserves another." Charlie said.

"Are you upset?" Viviana asked as she ran her fingers across his shoulders.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? I slept with someone and you kissed someone. There's a larger difference between the two." Charlie said.

"I'm not upset, I understand. I'm not saying it makes me incredibly happy, but I have heard of your reputation. I guess I'm not surprised." Viviana said.

She didn't make the last statement judgementally but there was an undercurrent of raw emotion that Charlie couldn't put his finger on. It didn't seem like she was jealous, but she was far from being happy-go-lucky about it either. He groaned internally, he felt like he screwed up when he was in Romanaia with the other woman, but he knew they hadn't technically been together either.

"Viv, really if we're together then we're together I wouldn't go behind your back if we were together." Charlie said. He pulled Viviana close to his chest and kissed the crown of her head. "Do you believe me?"

"Yes I believe you, I'm not worried about you cheating on me. If it happens, it happens and I'll cut my losses." Viviana said.

"You don't think I'd do it though, do you?" Charlie asked.

"I don't think you would purposefully do it no." Viviana said. She tried choosing her words carefully, knowing that Charlie had immediately gone out and slept with someone else, before they were unofficially over, bothered her. Bill had told her that Charlie had a certain way with women and she knew that going into whatever pseudo-relationship she and Charlie had formed. "Are you ready to go?"

"Viv, will you be my girl friend?" Charlie asked. He watched a slow smile creep across her face, before she leaned in and kissed him fully on the lips.

"Well it's about time you asked!" Viviana said. She had a brilliant smile on her face as she leaned in and kissed him.

"Well that's nice to hear. I'm really glad you said yes." Charlie said.

"Technically I didn't say yes, but I will now. Charlie Weasley, I will be your official girlfriend but if you even think of pulling any of that ridiculous shit on me again, I'll hex something you hold very dear to your life." Viviana said. "I do like the tattoo, a Hungarian horntail is a pretty vicious dragon."

"Yes it is, but they're one of my favorite breeds. Should we go to the Burrow?" Charlie asked.

"Sure, I'm ready when you are." Viviana said. She felt Charlies arms wrap around her before the plummeted through the air and landed just outside of the Burrows boundries. She saw Bill and Fleur walking towards the house as well.

"Viviana! O' it's so good to see you!" Fleur said as she ran over to hug Viviana. "Eet's been far too long."

"Bon jour Fleur, ca va?" Viviana said. (Hello Fleur, how are you?"

"Ca va tres bien, et vous?" Fleur asked. (I'm very well, and you?)

"Je suis tres bein aussi, merci." Viviana replied. (I'm very well also, thanks.)

"Je ne savais pas que vous avez parlé le français si bien." Fleur said. (I didn't know that you spoke French so well.)

"J'ai appris comment parler le français quand j'étais très peu. J'aimerais visiter la France de nouveau et faires les courses. Devrions-nous planifier un voyage autrefois ?" Viviana said. (I learned how to speak French when I was very little. I would love to visit France again and do some shopping. Should we plan a trip sometime?)

"J'aimerais faire un voyage en France avec vous, quand vous et Charlie êtes en mesure d'aller ? Je suis sûr que je pourrais convaincre Bill que nous devons prendre des petites vacances." Fleur replied. (I would love to take a trip to France with you, when would you and Charlie be able to go? I am sure that I could convince Bill that we need to take a small vacation.)

"Pourquoi nous ne planifions pas de voyage de week-end en juillet ? La classe serait finie avec et ensuite nous pouvons visiter avant que les touristes arrivent. A-t-il l'air d'un plan?" Viviana said. (Why don't we plan a weekend trip in July ? Class will be over with, and then we can visit before the tourists arrive. Does that sound like a plan?)

"Oui, c'est magnifique!" Fleur said before throwing her arms around Viviana's neck.

"Are you two lovely ladies done conversing in a language that not every speaks?" Bill asked.

"Nun Bill, halten Sie in den Schlamm. Welche Sprache bevorzugen Sie spreche ich?" Viviana said. (Well Bill you stick in the mud. What language would you prefer I speak?)

"English love, English. We know how talented you ladies are but English, please speak English." Charlie said as he leaned in and kissed Viviana's neck gently.

"What Viviana, and I were speaking about was a trip to France. We want, no we need a vacation in July! We 'ave decided this, you boys will come with." Fleur said smiling at Viviana.

"Yep, plan for a long weekend in July, we're going to France together." Viviana said.

"Wait we have no say in the matter?" Charlie and Bill argued.

"Not if you want to keep getting laid. Think about it this way, nude beaches, skimpy lingerie, champagne, lots of sex." Viviana said. "Really is that a difficult decision to make?"

"Well love, when you phrase it that way, when are we leaving?" Charlie asked before wrapping an arm around her waist.

"See? He goes along wis' it, won't you agree too?" Fleur said.

"Fleur, I would capture the moon and all of her stars to make you happy. Believe me a trip to France's majestic cities will only be enhanced by your beauty." Bill said.

Viviana quietly whispered to Charlie, "Do not ever use poetry to court me."

Charlie laughed before nodding. As the group walked up towards the house he heard his mother setting the table. He saw her smile when the group of them arrived and he was engulfed with a warm hug as soon as he walked into the kitchen.

"Charlie! I'm so happy you're here!" Molly said.

"Hello son, glad that you're here." Arthur said.

"Oh hello Viviana it's so good to see you again, how have you been? Hello Fleur it's nice to see you again!" Molly said before welcoming both of the girls into the living room.

"Molly we have some exciting news, we're taking a small vacation to France in June!" Viviana exclaimed.

"Oh that sounds lovely dear. Are you making it a couples retreat?" Molly asked.

"Oui, we are so excited, I cannot wait to show zem the beauty that France has to offer." Fleur said.

"Well why don't we sit down to dinner, I made roast chicken, potatoes, and steamed vegetables." Molly said.

Half way through the meal Charlie noticed that his mother was keenly eyeing Fleur and Viviana. He could almost see the gears turning in his mother's head. He knew that she was silently guessing about when she would start seeing grand children. He knew sooner or later his mother would corner him and ask him how his relationship with Viviana was going. He didn't have the heart to tell her that they were slowly easing themselves back into a relationship. Molly brought out a very large and very dense chocolate cake, just from the smell Charlie knew that it was his favorite recipe.

"Mum why is it that whenever Charlie visits, you make your world famous chocolate cake, but when I visit I get biscuits?" Bill complained.

"Charlie rarely visits and it's a special occasion, I have my two oldest sons and their lovely companions with them so I thought that making a special dessert was a perfect way to celebrate." Molly said.

"Molly, please, just a very small slice. I am already stuffed from the delicious meal you prepared." Fleur said.

"Yes, yes dear I do understand and thank you for the complement." Molly said.

Charlie easily had the largest slice, followed closely by Bill. Viviana watched as they dug into the decadent moist chocolate cake. Fleur took dainty bites out of the confection and seemed to savor every morsel. As dinner wrapped up he saw Viviana yawn, and he knew that they would be leaving soon. Bill helped gather up the dishes and they worked on cleaning up the kitchen. As they prepared to leave Molly pulled Charlie aside.

"Charlie I know you were mad at Bill, and at me for interfering with your relationship. We didn't do this to anger you, we were looking out for you. I think you really hurt her feelings when you left. She's a wonderful woman and you need to take care of her." Molly said.

"Yes mum, I know. We're officially together by the way, I asked her this morning." Charlie said.

"Do you love her?" Molly asked.

"Mum!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Charlie I mean it, do you love her?" Molly asked.

"I can see myself falling in love with her, I care about her deeply and I think she's fantastic. She's brilliant, beautiful and amazing. I don't want to rush into anything." Charlie said.

"Well I'm glad you're being level headed. I think she really loves you Charlie, be careful with this one, she is a passionate woman." Molly said.

"Sooner rather than later I will bring her around again Mum. We have to get going Viv has a lot of work she has to get started on, and I have to get ready for my new job." Charlie said.

"Okay dear, thank you for visiting I'll see you another time." Molly said.

Charlie walked over to the living room where Viviana and Fleur had been conversing rapidly in French. He hugged his father, and brother and Fleur kissed his cheeks making him blush.

"Okay we'll see you later, and Fleur please try and figure out where you want to stay. We'll make our plans together and try and figure out what we want to do." Viviana said. "Molly, Arthur thank you for your hospitality I'll see everyone later."

"Did you have a nice time?" Charlie asked.

"Of course I did, I really like your family." Viviana said.

"So nude beaches, and lingerie. Sounds like a nice vacation." Charlie said smirking.

"I knew that would get your attention." Viviana said as they walked hand in hand to the border of the Burrows boundaries. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Charlie said, and with that they landed solidly in her living room. Charlie saw her falcon Boomer perched on the kitchen table. Boomer bobbed her head and Charlie untied a letter attached to her leg. "Viv, letter from Dumbledore."

"Thanks." Viviana said as she popped the seal on the letter.

_Dear Viviana-_

_I apologize for intruding on your personal time. I do need to speak to you immediately. Perhaps you will be able to floo directly into my office. You may bring Charlie with you, it concerns him as well._

_Regards-_

_Albus_

"Charlie we need to go to the school now." Viviana said. "Pack!"

Charlie watched as their belongings pushed themselves into her bag and Boomer climbed onto Viviana's arm.

"Okay Boomer we're going through the fire again. No you won't get burned so stop giving me that look." Viviana said. As she threw in the floo powder the flames turned a deep purple and Viviana stepped through. Charlie soon followed her with their bags.

"Excellent timing, thank you both. I have a problem that you can help me solve." Albus said.

"What's wrong?" Viviana asked.

"Your brother Ron was attacked by Sirius Black this evening. He's fine and it's unclear why Sirius went after him. We think he was aiming for Harry, but he found Ron by mistake." Albus explained.

"Did the catch him?" Charlie asked.

"No, he vanished. I'm not surprised, Sirius knew the castle as a student better than the rest of the general populace." Albus explained.

"What do you need me to do?" Viviana asked.

"I need you to help train Harry. He's a little shaken, would do you mind talking to him today?" Albus asked.

"That's fine, I'll make my way there after I put my things in my room." Viviana said.

"I'll take care of that for you Viv, go find Harry." Charlie said.

"That will give us enough time to talk Charlie." Albus said.

"Charlie come find me when you're done okay?" Viviana said. "Albus would you mind if Charlie stayed with me for dinner?"

"That would be fine." Albus said.

Viviana walked towards the Gryffindor common room and bowed to the knight.

"Hello, is Harry Potter here?" Viviana asked.

"Yes, do you know the password?" The knight asked.

"Poppy cock." Viviana replied.

"Enter fair lady!" The knight said before letting the door swing open.

Viviana walked through the common room and ran into Ginny. Ginny smiled and ran up to Viviana and hugged her.

"Viv! It's so nice to see you!" Ginny said.

"Ginny how are you doing? Classes going well?" Viviana asked.

"I'm really doing well, it's getting harder, but I'm doing well." Ginny said. "Are you here to talk to Ron?"

"Actually is Harry around?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah he's probably up in his room." Ginny replied.

"Thanks Ginny, come visit me for dinner okay? I have a surprise for you." Viviana said.

"Thanks Viv!" Ginny said.

Viviana walked up towards the boys' dormitories and saw Harry sitting on the windowsill. Ron's drapes around his bed were shredded and torn. Harry didn't see or hear Viviana enter and a look of shock crossed his face.

"Hello Harry, are you okay?" Viviana asked.

"I'm fine, just worried." Harry said.

"Well why don't we start your training." Viviana said. "Albus thinks it's a good idea if we get you started on your extra defense training."

"Okay well that works, when will we start?" Harry asked.

"Now, grab your broom and your clothes meet me down at the pitch." Viviana said.

Viviana made her way down to the pitch and practiced diving on her broom. She loved the feeling of the wind whipping around her body as she dove closer and closer to the ground. She saw Harry fly up and smile at her.

"You really do know how to fly." Harry said.

"I've seen you play and I know that you're very good at your job for the house team. You're going to have to learn how to defend yourself on your broom and still maintain an accurate flight path. I want you to watch me from the air okay?" Viviana used her wand and charmed 8 bludgers to fly at different speeds and difficulties , she also conjured targets painted red and blue that whipped around the pitch. "The object of me showing you this is to hit only the blue targets, they will change color and move around, you have to avoid getting hit by a bludger, and hit the correct targets. Let's see how long you can last okay? I'll go first and see if you can keep up."

Viviana released the hold she had on the bludgers and speedily zigged and zagged across the field. She was able to turn on a dime, and fly around without getting grazed she flicked her wand out and stealthily aimed at the different targets. Every time she hit a target she heard a faint ding. She cast a quick charm to freeze the bludgers and the targets.

"Okay Harry are you ready?" Viviana asked.

"I am ready, what spell should I use to hit the targets?" Harry asked.

"Whatever spell you hit it with, it will ding. I'll slow the bludgers down a little and we'll see how it goes." Viviana said. "You win a point for each of the targets hit, and you lose a point if a bludger grazes you."

"I understand." Harry said he tried copying Viviana's previous movements and he couldn't get the rhythm down. He narrowly missed getting struck with a bludger and missed hitting his target completely. He became incredibly angry and increased the speed of his movements on his broom. He managed to hit three targets in a row, but ended up getting nailed solidly by a bludger in the side of the arm. Soon he heard Viviana whistle for him to fly down.

"Not bad, your concentration doesn't seem to be fully focused, we'll work on that. I think you needed to broaden your search, being a seeker has its problems. You become too narrowly focused on a single target and you don't see the bigger picture. You do have a creative way of casting spells, but I think you could even get better." Viviana said.

"Viviana!"

Viviana looked over and saw Oliver walking towards her. She smiled and waved.

"I didn't know you were working with Harry, I was planning on running a few drills, do you mind?" Oliver asked.

"Nope we're done for the day, I have a few things I need to write up and I'm sure Harry has other things to do than get hit by bludgers." Viviana said lightly.

"That's a smart idea, charming the bludgers to attack at different speeds and variations." Oliver said. "I'll be using that in practice if you don't mind."

"Go for it, it's a great way to get the team members to recognize different threats that will be readily available on the pitch." Viviana said. "I'll leave you to it Oliver."

Viviana and Harry walked back from their training session smiling and laughing about the day, Harry grabbed Ginny from their common room and followed Viviana to her quarters.

"How did the training go?" Ginny asked.

"It went well, pretty intense." Harry said.

"What's my surprise?" Ginny asked.

"Be patient I promise you'll be excited when you see what it is." Viviana said as she opened up her door. "You stay here and get comfortable, Harry if you need a shower use the bathroom down the hall. I'm going to hope in the shower and get ready for dinner."

When she walked upstairs she saw Charlie sitting on her bed half slumped over. She walked over to him and leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Hello handsome. How are you?" Viviana asked.

"Erm, hello love. How did training go?" Charlie asked.

"Pretty good, Harry has a few things to work on, but I think that he'll improve greatly." Viviana said as she stripped off her clothing. "I'm going to shower, why don't you go downstairs and say hello to someone you know."

"Who's here?" Charlie asked.

"Just go downstairs." Viviana said.

"Alright I'll see you soon. Love you." Charlie said.

"Love you too." Viviana responded. She realized as she turned on the shower that she had just admitted to saying that she loved him. She wasn't exactly expecting anything like that to happen yet. She knew that she cared for him deeply, but love? That was a completely different level than she thought she was ready for. _You might as well admit that you do love him, you think about him constantly, you're happier when you're with him. He said he loves you first, what else is there to think about?_ Her heart said she loved him, and her head was still trying to accurately judge if that was the case.

Charlie was walking out of Viviana's bedroom when it hit him, _Did I just admit that I loved her? Wasn't I just talking to Mum about my confusion? I care for her, but love? That's something different, maybe I should talk to Bill about it. He'll know if I said it truthfully. You prat, of course you love her, it wouldn't have been so easy to say if you didn't love her. She's brilliant, and beautiful; she makes you laugh, she makes you happy. She's honest, she's caring, and you love her. _ What made it better was the fact that she admitted that she loved him back. Charlie smiled all the way down to the kitchen. When he got there he saw his little sister sitting at the table.

"CHARLIE!" Ginny screamed before running over and hugging him. "I've missed you so much!"

"Ginny I swear you've grown a foot since I saw you a few months ago. How are you holding up?" Charlie asked.

"I'm fine Charlie, and I did not grow a foot, maybe a few inches. How are things going between you and Viviana?" Ginny asked.

"Well we're officially together, and we're very happy." Charlie said.

"Better her than Phlegm." Ginny said with mock disgust.

"Fleur isn't that bad, we're taking a trip with Fleur and Bill in July. They ladies decided a shopping trip to France would be fun and we're getting dragged along." Charlie said.

"What? Can I go with?" Ginny asked.

"Ginny it's a couples weekend." Charlie tried explaining. He saw the hurt in her eyes.

"Charlie, if she wants to go that's fine, she wouldn't be a burden and I'm sure Fleur would agree. When's the last time that she went on a vacation without all of her brothers?" Viviana asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"NEVER!" Ginny exclaimed. "Please can I go?"

"Well if Mum says its okay, and Viviana agrees then you can go." Charlie said. He had never seen Ginny look so excited.

"Can I borrow Boomer and ask?" Ginny said.

"Just use the fire place, it'll be quicker. Go upstairs into my room and you'll have some privacy to speak to your Mum. Tell her that I said that you would be more than welcome." Viviana said as she watched Ginny bolt up the stairs.

"That's really sweet of you, Ginny really looks up to you." Charlie said. He pulled Viviana into his arms and slowly kissed her lips. "You look absolutely ravishing."

"Thank you handsome. Did you mean what you said earlier?" Viviana asked.

"About me loving you?" Charlie asked. He saw her nod. "Yes I meant it, I've been seeing you off and on for 6 months, how could I not feel so strongly about you?"

"I just wanted to make sure, we're just getting into the whole 'we're together' bit, and I didn't want to jump the gun." Viviana said. "I do love you, with all my heart."

"I can tell, you glow. Even Mum made a comment about it." Charlie said. "She thinks we'll be the next couple to get engaged."

"Well that's up to you Charlie, we haven't really talked about it fully have we." Viviana stated.

"It'll come up I'm sure, just not yet, I'd rather we get our relationship fully concrete before we go jumping into an engagement. Mum will have kittens when she finds out." Charlie said. "So what's for dinner?"

"Mum said yes!" Ginny said as she flew down the stairs, she didn't see Harry and bowled right into him. "Sorry Harry, I didn't see you I was too excited."

"Bloody hell Ginny, it's okay. I'm not used to pretty girls attacking me though." Harry said, he enjoyed seeing her blush at his statement. "What did your Mum say yes to?"

"Viv, Charlie, Fleur and Bill are going to France this summer and I get to go with! It's going to be so exciting!" Ginny said.

"Lucky you, I'll be stuck with the fracking Dursley's again." Harry said glumly.

"Why don't you come too Harry? Maybe we can get Hermione and Ron to go as well." Viviana said. She looked over at Charlie and saw him smile.

"You would actually want me to go with you?" Harry said, the look of astonishment crossed his face.

"Yes, I think that would be fun. Would you like me to ask your guardians?" Viviana said.

"Please do." Harry said. "They don't like magic, you might want to phone them instead."

Viviana opened up a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a cell phone, she had Harry dial the number and she waited until Vernon Dursley picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Vernon said gruffly.

"Hello is this Mr. Vernon Dursley?" Viviana asked.

"Speaking." Vernon said.

"This is Viviana Valentine, I'm a teacher at the school. I was curious if you would consent to letting Harry take an extracurricular visit with a few friends from school to France. I'd be chaperoning the trip." Viviana said.

"Oh you're one of those people. I don't have the extra money to send him." Vernon said.

"It's an all expenses paid trip sir." Viviana said. "He'd be living with some friends until the trip and wouldn't be back until the middle of August."

"August you say. Fine. I give my consent." Vernon said. He hung up the phone and Viviana looked shocked.

"He said no didn't he." Harry said, he looked incredibly unhappy at the entire endeavor.

"He said yes, actually." Viviana said smiling at him.

"Really? Wow." Harry said. "Thank you so much, I really hate going home there."

"You're welcome, should I ask Molly if Ron can come as well?" Viviana asked Charlie.

"I'll ask her. Harry, Ginny go get your brother and Hermione. We might as well ask them to go too." Charlie said. He watched the two run out of the kitchen and towards the Gryffindor common room. "You know you're amazing. You're giving them a chance of a lifetime."

"It's the least I can do. Really." Viviana said as she threw a handful of floo powder into the fire. "Molly?"

"Oh Viviana it's nice to see you again. What can I help you with dear?" Molly asked.

"Would it be alright if I brought Ron as well?" Viviana asked. "Harry is going, and I'm inviting Hermione too."

"That's very kind of you, but won't that be quite expensive?" Molly asked.

"It's nothing Molly, you've made me family, Charlie makes me feel so loved and family helps family." Viviana said. She saw tears grace Molly's eyes when she stated that they were family.

"That would be fine then, is Charlie there?" Molly asked.

"Here he is, I'm starting dinner I'll see you later." Viviana said as she waved good-bye.

"Charlie, are you sure she can afford all of this?" Molly asked.

"Mum, she's incredibly well off. Finances are the least of her worries, I think she feels like she's trying to enrich their lives, money isn't an issue." Charlie said. He knew his parents were honest workers and didn't have a lot of money to spare. It embarrassed them to no end but they made do with what they could.

"Charlie did you hear what she said? She really must be fond of us, to consider us family. Isn't she close to any of her blood relatives?" Molly asked.

"Mum, her brother's dead and her blood relatives are cold people. Like the Black or Malfoy families. Believe me she loves us, and you helped with that. I wanted to thank you for being a wonderful mother." Charlie said. He knew his Mum would probably cry when he said that, but he said it honestly.

"Okay well go help her with dinner, and I'll speak to you more later. Fleur and Bill are excited that the rest of the family is going as well. I think Fred and George might be jealous." Molly said.

"I'll talk to them about it later okay? Love you Mum." Charlie said before he closed the gate to the fireplace. He looked over at Viviana and saw her bustling around the kitchen with an apron on. It was a bright sunny yellow one, with cherries stitched across it. "You look incredibly cute."

"Thanks love, I'm making a steak and potato pie, green beans and treacle tart. I have a feeling that George and Fred will be joining us for dinner. Should we invite them on the trip as well?" Viviana asked.

"We could that would make them happy, isn't this a big deal now?" Charlie asked.

"Charlie, I wasn't kidding when I said that you're all family. All of your siblings. I'm not leaving them out of it, it'd be cruel. The money isn't an issue I have more gold than I can spend, and I've made more than most people do in a life time the last few years. This year alone I've made about 2 million dollars, it's not a big deal to me." Viviana said. "I also know for a fact that you make a great deal of money as well."

"I knew you came from money, but really Viv, how much do you have?" Charlie asked.

"Charlie why does it matter?" Viviana said as she blushed.

"I'm curious, please tell me." Charlie said.

"Let's see my account in America I have about 6,802,721 galleons saved up. My accounts in London, Ireland, and Italy I have about 500,000 galleons saved up in each account." Viviana said, she wouldn't meet his eyes. "Dimitri left me at least as much as I have in my American account. His bank is in Russia, so that's where's that's located at."

"I didn't realize that you were so well off." Charlie said. He hadn't know that she literally would never have to work again, and she could purchase her own small island and live there with a family indefinitely. It pained him knowing that her ex-fiancé left her so much money, gave her so much, he knew he'd never have or make as much as Dimitri did.

"I don't like talking about money, it's never a good thing." Viviana said. "Honestly Charlie, my parents were very wealthy, that's what I grew up with. They thought that their blood was better than anyone else's because they came from such a long line of wealth."

"It's okay Viv, I'm not judging you. You should know that." Charlie said as he kissed the tip of her nose, and her neck. "I love you for you, not your money."

"I'm glad to hear that, a trip like this will only cost me a week of work, I'm not worried about it." Viviana said. "For that matter I know it's your parents wedding anniversary and I thought we could send them on their own trip. Where do you think they would like to go?"

"A trip? I don't know maybe France, or Italy." Charlie said. "You're very generous you know, it makes spoiling you very hard."

"I don't want to be spoiled Charlie, the simple things in life are what really matters." Viviana said.

"I know but it would be nice if I could just surprise you with something amazing." Charlie said.

"You surprise me every day Charlie. Every day I'm with you is a gift." Viviana said. She heard her door open, and she saw George, Fred, Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny pile in.

"Hey thanks for letting us come to dinner!" Fred said.

"Not a problem. Charlie will you please enlarge the table and we'll sit down for a nice meal." Viviana said.

As they sat down there was general talk about how Sirius Black entered the castle. Hermione and Ron were arguing about something and Ginny was joking around with Charlie. Seeing everyone sit so calmly at the dinner table having a good time made Viviana happy. She hadn't see so many happy people enjoying a meal since she had been at the Weasley's. Her family was so cold and distant it felt like a chore versus enjoying each other's company.

"Alright so I'm sure you know that in July Charlie, Fleur and Bill are taking a trip to France. I wanted to invite the rest of you, it's only fair because Ginny and Harry are going." Viviana said.

"Wow, that's really nice of you." Fred and George said together.

"I'm glad you think so. Hermione would it be best if I called your parents from my cell phone?" Viviana asked.

"Probably, they understand magic but they don't really understand the whole fireplace speech." Hermione said. "I really appreciate it, I'm sure we'll learn loads while were there."

"It's a relaxation vacation, there won't be a whole lot of touring or anything. It's a shopping, sunbathing and relaxing vacation." Charlie said.

"Oh well, it'll still be a fun trip." Hermione said.

As the boys cleaned up the kitchen, Hermione used Viviana's cell phone to call her parents. "Mum?"

"Hermione, are you okay?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"I'm fine Mum, one of my teachers wanted to ask you something though." Hermione said as she handed the phone over to Viviana.

"Hello, Mrs. Granger. This is Viviana Valentine I'm a teacher at Hogwarts and I wanted to know if I could have your permission to take Hermione along with a few of her friends to France this July." Viviana asked.

"France? Is this a school trip?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"No just for fun. Ginny, Ron, Harry, George and Fred are going along with a few others. It's going to be a short vacation." Viviana explained.

"I suppose that's fine, we're going to go to France later in the year as well. Maybe we could meet up and you can drop off Hermione then." Mrs. Granger said.

"That'd work well, you won't see her until the end of July if that's okay." Viviana said.

"Okay thank you for calling." Mrs. Granger said.

"You're welcome, thank you for saying yes." Viviana replied.

"Viviana?" Harry said.

"Do you have a question?" Viviana asked.

"If Hermione will see her parents in June, why did you tell my Uncle that I wouldn't see him until August?" Harry asked.

"Well I figured you could either stay with Ron, or at my house in England. I thought you would want as much time with your friends as you could have." Viviana said.

"That part is true, I'd like nothing more than to stay away from the Dursley's." Harry said.

"Well that's settled then. I'll see you lot in class this week, try and have fun with the rest of your classes. Oh and don't forget that tomorrow we have training bright and early." Viviana said. "Let Oliver know that I need him to meet me in my classroom about 30 minutes earlier than the rest of you, if he has any questions he can find me in my room."

"Viv, I need to get going." Charlie said. "Got to get ready for my new job and all."

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay, don't worry about it." Viviana said as she kissed him gently.

"There's only a couple months left of school, and I'll see you in a few weeks." Charlie said.

"You'll see me officially in a few weeks. I think you'll see me before then." Viviana said lightly.

"Well yeah, I'll take you to dinner then, somewhere in London perhaps?" Charlie asked.

"Sure, anything you want. Where are you staying?" Viviana asked.

"Well I found a flat, it's cheap decently close to you and my new job." Charlie said.

"I have a few places you could stay in London if you want. They're in muggle neighborhoods but you're welcome to move into any of them." Viviana said.

"Viv, you don't always have to offer your places to stay at." Charlie said.

"I know but they're already furnished and everything, and I can directly access them from my room here." Viviana said.

"I can't so no to that. Alright I'll see you this weekend." Charlie said.

"Here's the key, when you floo over there the pass code is 'greener valley'." Viviana said.

"Thanks love, where is it exactly?" Charlie asked.

"It's 30 minutes by broom to Hogwarts, and 30 minutes by broom to your new job." Viviana said. "Oh and I'm meeting with your Mom this week to give her that trip for their anniversary."

"She's going to fret and blow a gasket you know." Charlie said.

"Meh, she'll have to deal with my generosity. Family is family Charlie." Viviana said as she watched Charlie throw in his floo powder and yell 'greener valley' before he disappeared.

Viviana sat down in an armchair and started reading a book that she picked up in London. It revolved around parallel universes and the possibilities of a doppelganger. She heard a loud knock at her door and she waved her wand and it opened. She saw Oliver standing at her doorway with a fresh smirk on his face.

"Not interrupting anything am I?" Oliver asked.

"Nope, just caching up on some light reading." Viviana said as she invited him in. "Make yourself at home, did you eat already?"

"Nae, ran into Harry and he passed on the message." Oliver said as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"Here I made steak and potato pie earlier, eat it while it's still hot. Do you want something to drink?" Viviana asked.

"Take a bit of whiskey if you've got it, it's Baltic out there." Oliver said.

"I have a few butter beers but that's about it. So the reason I asked you to be early tomorrow is because I think with your determination I can have everyone ready to run drills constantly all week." Viviana said.

"So you're inducting me into your training sessions." Oliver said with a light laugh.

"Well you're really fit, and I figured between the two of us we would be able to corral the others into shape." Viviana said.

"Your wish is my command." Oliver said as he took a sip of the butter beer. "Back with Charlie?"

"I think we've worked out our problems." Viviana said.

"Couldnae say I'm fully happy about that, but if you're happy that's all that matters." Oliver said.

"Oliver I told you chasing me wasn't going to work in your favor. I'm a teacher here." Viviana said.

"I wasn't chasing you, remember I play Keeper, not Chaser." Oliver said with a smile.

"Clever Oliver. Clever." Viviana said. "I'm sorry it didn't work for you, really."

"It's okay we'll work something out eventually. Even if it's just us as friends, I'd be happier." Oliver said. "We are closer in age, we have similar interests, and we are apple to talk to each other about everything."

"Oliver, I appreciate your candor, but I don't think Charlie and I are going to break up any time soon." Viviana said. "And while we're close in age, there are things I've seen and things I've done that aren't my proudest moments."

"Viv, honestly I believe that everything will work out the way it's meant to." Oliver said. "All things aside, how are we going to work our everything out?"

"Basically I think we need to start with them basic squad drills, and calisthenics. After they get that down we can work on actual drills and training." Viviana said.

"That's ace Viv. Honestly do you think they'll actually be able to handle it?" Oliver asked.

"They will or they'll be running laps until they puke." Viviana said.

"You'll be needing someone to help you run the training part?" Oliver asked.

"Sure treat this like they're going to be playing for you on your Quidditch team." Viviana said.

"Cannae say this won't be hard, the lot of them will be whining about the training. They aren't used to working that hard physically." Oliver said, he had a manic glint in his eyes.

"I honestly think that you're one of the most athletically driven people I've met. Well besides myself and Dimitri." Viviana said with a laugh. "Okay well I'll meet you on the pitch in a few hours, time for some sleep."

"Asking me to sleep over already?" Oliver said, his deep brogue rolled off his tongue.

"Honestly Oliver, I think you are putting the cart before the horse." Viviana said.

"Hey I can dream." Oliver said.


	11. No Need to Say Goodbye

**Chapter 11: No Need to Say Goodbye.**

"**The Call"-Regina Spektor, "Come on Closer"-Jem, "Believe"-The Bravery, "Last Tattoo"-Rehab "End Credits"-Resident Evil Featured songs. I hope to put this up with chapter 10, the site was still down, and I've been trying for two days to throw these chapters up on the site. Huge apologies to my readers, I'm not trying to deprive you, honestly. I saw a herd of dolphins today, (yep I live on the beach) East Coast baby, sadly I'll always be a Midwesterner at heart. **

**Hope everyone's had a decent couple of days, I'm bone weary from work, honestly you can't fix stupid, and there's a lot of stupid going around lately. Epic fail. On with the story, PS: Still looking for a beta, if you're interested shoot me a message, seriously it would be pretty fabulous. **

Viviana walked up to her bedroom and tossed off her clothes. She quickly climbed into her bed and passed out as soon as she hit the sheets. She saw herself as a child running through the house with her brother, when they got to the end of the hallway she saw a mirror. She watched her brother run towards it and disappear behind the haze of the fog that suddenly appeared. She tried calling out to him, but the deathly silence answered her call. Abruptly she ran into the mirror, she saw herself but she looked different, her eyes weren't the warm violet that she was used to. There was inner malice and cruelty that had never graced her eyes before. She reached out to touch the specter that was staring at her, she looked closer and saw Dimitri on the ground before her, and he looked alive, but barely.

"Dimitri?" Viviana whispered.

"Don't worry I'm keeping him entertained." The doppelganger said.

"Leave him alone, he's suffered enough!" Viviana yelled. She felt her body slide through the mirror, it left her skin feel oily and cold.

"Valya." Dimitri said. When he looked up at her she saw the damage that he had been subjected to. He was covered in his own blood and bruises.

"I told you he was quite entertaining, I can see why you enjoyed your time with him." The doppelganger said as she dragged her wand across the back of his shoulders.

"What are you?" Viviana said.

"I thought you were a smart woman." The doppelganger said maliciously. "I'm you."

"You're nothing like me!" Viviana snarled as she pulled out her own wand.

"You're right, I'm not weak. I am you only better, improved, stronger." The doppelganger said. "If you had been more like me your lover wouldn't have died."

Viviana tried to logically think around this, and came up with nothing. She quickly raised her wand and cast a vanishing spell on her doppelganger the woman smiled and vanished.

"Dimitri. I'm going to help you, I promise!" Viviana said as she knelt in front of him.

"Little Valya, I'm dead. Don't you remember?" Dimitri said with a sad smile.

"Then why are you here? Why do you torment me?" Viviana asked.

"I'm your warning, I promised to always protect you, even if it was from yourself. They're coming again Valya. They will destroy everyone and everything you hold dear. I've warned you of this." Dimitri said.

Viviana woke up his wounds were suddenly closed up and he stood before her wearing an elegant suit.

"Are you ready?" Dimitri asked.

"Dimitri what's going on?" Viviana asked she hesitantly took his hand.

"We're going to be late my dear, don't you remember we promised that we would make it to the dinner party on time this year. The children are safe stop worrying." Dimitri said.

"Stop it! You're dead. You're dead! There are no children." Viviana screamed.

"Valya, why are you so upset? Are you dreams getting worse again?" Dimitri asked as he calmly walked over to her. He slowly picked her up off of the bed and sat down with her on the bed in their bedroom. "Are you sick?"

"Dimitri, what's happening?" Viviana asked, she looked around her and saw that she was dressed in an elegant ivory gown, her wedding ring was on her finger and she saw Dimitri's eyes look concerned but very alive. "You died."

"But you saved me, don't you remember? You were able to save me. I'm fine." Dimitri said.

"No you were on the floor, I was standing over you, but it wasn't me. She, she threatened you, called me weak. You died, in Italy." Viviana said she looked around again and saw the elegance that the room held. She heard a pitter patter of small feet before she saw the bedroom door open, two small children ran in and jumped on the bed. One was a small boy that had an infectious smile on his face, his indigo eyes were lit up as he held his sisters hands. They both had dark brown hair with honey colored high lights.

"Mama why are you sad?" The little girl asked.

"I bet it's because you didn't want to dress up!" The little boy said. "Stay home with us Mama, please?"

Viviana could only stare into their eyes, it felt so real, so safe. _But he's dead, they aren't real. Who are they, why am I here? Charlie? Was that a dream? What's real? _Viviana picked up the little boy and held him against her body. He felt so warm, so real, who was he?

"Mama, please stay home! You never have time for Alexei and I anymore." The little girl said.

"Natasha is right mama, please." Alexei said.

"Children, you know your mother and I have to go." Dimitri said as he picked up Natasha.

"No papa! Don't leave us!" Natasha said as she started to cry into his shoulder.

"Why." Viviana started to say. "Why don't we stay in tonight."

"Viviana, we can't just not show up." Dimitri said.

"So we go for a little bit and return home, please I want to stay with our children." Viviana said.

"Fine, fine. Anything for my Valya." Dimitri said as he leaned down and kissed her.

"Mama promise me you'll tell me the story of your rescuing papa." Alexei asked.

"If you're good, go with your sister your papa and I have to finish getting ready." Viviana said.

"I love you mama." Natasha said.

"I love you more mama." Alexei said.

Viviana stared at both of them, her heart felt like it was breaking. _Is this real? Of course, they felt so real, so perfect. Beautiful children, wonderful husband. _Viviana couldn't put her finger on it, but something felt off. She watched as they ran out of the room and she stood and slipped her arms around Dimitri's body.

"Dimitri, what happened?" Viviana asked.

"I suppose that spell made you forget things." Dimitri said. "You remember me being hurt in Italy, but nothing else?"

"You died in Italy, I buried you. I was a teacher at Hogwarts, seeing a guy named Charlie. I didn't have children. I was training students to fight against the Death Eaters. Voldermort. I fell asleep, there was a mirror. You, you were in it, my brother he's dead too." Viviana said, she knew her statements were fragmented and confusing, she saw worry etch into Dimitri's face.

"Viviana. Andrew has been dead for a long time. The mission a few weeks ago went wrong, you were hit with a spell, you were in a coma. You've been plagued with evil dreams, you get confused so easily." Dimitri said. "The doctors warned us that you would relive your worst memories, it would scare you, but I would be here to show you how everything will be okay."

"You're real then, the children, they're really here." Viviana said. "What about Charlie?"

"Who is this Charlie?" Dimitri asked.

"I, we were involved, after you died." Viviana stated. "Maybe that's just in my dream."

"Who, Charlie Weasley?" Dimitri asked.

"Yes, you know him?" Viviana asked excitedly.

"He's the children's god father. He and his wife." Dimitri said.

"Oh, Dimitri will the dreams stop?" Viviana asked quietly. "I'm so confused, what's real?"

Dimitri leaned down and pressed his lips softly against hers, he picked her up in his arms and kissed her passionately. She wrapped her legs around him, god he felt so good. So real. Safe. Perfect.

"Does this show you what's real my Valya?" Dimitri asked.

"Yes." Viviana said. "Do we really have to go out?"

"Yes we do, don't worry it'll be okay. Your friend Charlie will be there." Dimitri said. "Talk to him tonight and ask if you ever were together, he will laugh."

They both departed and soon arrived at hotel in down town London, she held onto Dimitri's arm as the walked in. She saw a few people she thought she knew. _Charlie_. Viviana saw Charlie across the room, his arm was securely wrapped around a blonds waist. She hurried over to him and hugged him gently.

"Charlie." Viviana said as she slowly inhaled his rich, spicy cologne. The memories of them being together, every intimate memory flooded her system. "Charlie."

"Viv!" Charlie said he slowly untangled her arms from his neck. He noticed that she looked confused. He looked for Dimitri and saw him slowly walking over, Dimitri touched his finger to his temple. _She's having dreams again, she can't tell reality from her dreams again._ "Viv you remember my wife, don't you?"

"Hello." Viviana said as she looked at the woman standing before her. She was an incredible striking blond. _Oh god! He married that bitch? _Before her stood Charlie's ex girlfriend. _What was her name? Claire? Carrie? Kate. Her name was Kate._

"It's been too long Viviana, how are the children?" Kate asked.

"They're good Kate, really good. How about yourself?" Viviana asked she looked around with a mild look of confusion. She saw Dimitri signal that he needed to talk to Charlie. She tried listening into their conversation but couldn't hear anything.

"I'm doing well, did Charlie tell you the good news? We're expecting our next baby! I'm 2 months along." Kate said excitedly.

"That's really wonderful Kate, I'm happy for you." Viviana said.

"Viviana, Kate." Charlie said as he smiled. "Kate if you will excuse Viviana from your stunning conversation I really must talk to her about work."

"Charlie. Is this real?" Viviana asked. "You married her?"

"Viviana you were in the wedding." Charlie said. "Dimitri said you had a relapse and don't remember anything."

Viviana's heart broke when he said that, did she mean nothing to him? She saw a door to the side of the room that lead to the balcony and she walked out there.

"Viviana, please tell me what's so different?" Charlie begged he cast a silencing charm on the balcony knowing that she would probably start yelling soon.

"Everything. Dimitri was dead. No children. You weren't with Kate!" Viviana screamed.

"Why wouldn't I be with Kate?" Charlie asked.

"Because Charlie you ass, you caught her in bed with Garrett." Viviana said she saw a look of pain in his eyes. "Did that happen?"

"You know it happened Viv, you were the first person I ran to." Charlie said.

"We were happy. We were together, you were working with the Dragon Preserve in England." Viviana said. "I was teaching."

"Viviana, we were never together, we've always been good friends." Charlie said he saw the sorrow in her eyes, the grief. He knew what he was doing was cruel but he had to tell her in a way that would push her into Dimitri's arms.

"It was a dream." Viviana said. "I guess it was all a cruel dream."

"I'm going to go get Dimitri." Charlie said. "I'm sorry Viv."

Viviana stood over looking the bleakness of night from the balcony of the hotel they were at. She looked down and saw the hustle and bustle of the people of London. This has to be the dream, Charlie would never have ran back to Kate. Dimitri is dead. This is a horrible dream. She slowly climbed on to of the railing and looked down, if you die in a dream you wake up, I need to wake up. She unstrapped the knife from her thigh and slowly dragged the tip against her palm, it hurt like hell, and she saw the blood well up. _Am I real? Charlie. Charlie was real. _

"Valya!" Dimitri cried. "Valya please, come down, please."

"It's okay." Viviana said as she turned around the blood was slowly dripping onto her dress. "I will always love you. Always."

"Viviana please, don't do this, what of your son and daughter?" Dimitri asked, he was pleading with her to not fall. "Please come home with me, please you promised them."

"This isn't real, I'm still dreaming. I have to go back Dimitri even if this is a dream it was one of the best I've had. I will always love you. I cherish you and I miss you, more than you'll ever know." Viviana said.

"You don't have to miss me I'm right here!" Dimitri screamed. "Please little one, don't do this. Don't leave me again. I beg of you, stay we'll be happy again."

"It's okay Dimitri you'll see me again." Viviana said. "Good bye, I love you."

She heard him scream her name as she leapt from the railing. Time stood still she saw the ground rushing up at her, the blur of the cars, the feeling of the wind whipping through the air. Then there was nothing.

_**There's a smell of stale fear that's reeking from our skins.**_

_**The drinking never stops because the drinks absolve our sins.**_

_**We sit and grow our roots into the floor, but what are we waiting for?**_

_**So give me something to believe, cause I am living just to breathe.**_

_**And I need something more, to keep on breathing for,**_

_**So give me something to believe.**_

Viviana woke up, she saw the shadows of the forest surround her. She felt the soft loam under her body. _Where am I?_ She guessed that she was in the Forbidden Forest. She stood and saw that she was dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top, there was a deep cut across her palm. As she walked towards the castle, she knew it was still night, the moon illuminated the Black Lake. She walked into the castle and ran into Severus.

"Viviana, is there something you need?" Severus asked.

"I, I don't know." Viviana said.

"Were you out running again?" Severus asked, he noticed her disheveled appearance and the dried blood on her palm.

"Severus, do you ever have a dream that feels so real, until you wake up?" Viviana asked.

"No. I don't dream." Severus said. "Why were you out in the forest?"

"I don't know how I got there." Viviana said. There was evident worry creasing her brow and Severus leaned over and brushed a few leaves from her hair.

"Come to my office, I'll prepare a calming draught. Maybe that will help." Severus said.

"Thanks." Viviana said as she walked with him towards the dungeons. They walked in silence, until they reached his quarters, he started to rummage through the different vials he kept in his storeroom.

"Drink this, it's a mild calming draught." Severus said as he handed her a glowing blue potion.

Viviana sat down on the top of his desk and she threw back the potion, it had a slightly sweet peppermint flavor. She instantly felt calmer, and clearer headed.

"Would you like to tell me what happened?" Severus asked.

"I, I fell asleep. I dreamed that Dimitri was alive. We had two children, Charlie was with his ex. It wasn't real. It felt so real. I saw myself in a mirror at first, she was me, but she wasn't me. She was everything I strive not to be. Was he real? Was it real? Am I real now?" Viviana asked, she looked over and saw Severus' eyes narrow.

"If I have your permission I'd like to view your memory of your dream. Will you allow it?" Severus asked.

"Maybe you can sort through my memories, I can't tell who or what's real Sev. Please god take these memories from me!" Viviana cried out, she felt wetness on her cheeks before she realized she was sobbing.

Severus reached over and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her. He muttered an incantation and slowly peeled through her memories until he saw her dream. It felt real. He was startled when he saw that she dove off of a balcony. What bothered him more was that the cut on her hand was real. How had she gotten out of the castle?

"I suggest that we speak to the Headmaster about this. This is incredibly rare, and quite odd." Severus said.

"Please take me there." Viviana said. They once again walked through the halls in silence.

"Ice Mice." Severus said before leading her upstairs into the Headmasters office.

"Severus, Viviana. I assume this isn't a social call based on the state of Ms. Valentine." Albus said warmly.

"She had a dream, it took her into her deepest fears and memories. She ended up in the forest. You should view what she dreamed. I think someone's trying to trick her mind." Severus said. He handed Albus a vial of Viviana's recollection of the dream.

Albus stood at his pensive and dove into the memory. In the meantime Fawkes flew down from his post, and landed on Viviana's lap. His tears slowly burned away the cut on her palm, he began a slow song that started to lift her spirits. Viviana reached out and slowly stroked the beautiful birds body.

"Thanks Fawkes, you are an emotional saver." Viviana said.

"Ms. Valentine, I'm not sure what to make of your dream. Clearly it represents one of your deepest wishes, but I don't know why it felt so real to you. It felt as real as the conversation we're having now. Severus did you feel the same?" Albus questioned.

"Yes Headmaster. I believe someone is using her to twist her reality." Severus said.

"It might be wise to take a draught of dreamless sleep until we can figure out why this is happening to you." Albus said. "Severus would you make a batch enough to last her a few weeks."

"Of course Headmaster." Severus said with a curt bow.

"Ms. Valentine, have you had any unusual contact with anyone?" Albus asked.

"No sir. I don't know what brought that dream on." Viviana said, she looked less shaken, but still wary.

"I'm going to clear your mind of this dream, it will still be there but it won't plague you anymore." Albus said. "Obliviate."

Viviana felt as though a cool breeze graced her mind, she felt more at ease and comfortable. She looked around and saw Severus and Albus.

"Feel better?" Albus asked with a merry twinkle in his eyes.

"I do thank you. Thank you both." Viviana said.

"I'll send the potions you need up to your room later. I know you have a training session to prepare for." Severus said.

"Thank you Severus." Viviana said as she stood up and walked towards her classroom. By the time she reached her room she had forgotten about her dream, about Dimitri and their children. She showered and changed into another pair of shorts and a long sleeve shirt that was molded to her body. She left her room and headed out towards the Quidditch pitch. She knew Oliver would be there soon. She started stretching and flew into a few yoga positions.

"I like the position your in." Oliver said, he had a lop sided grin on.

"You're so cheeky." Viviana said as she stood up from the down ward dog position.

"Yeah but its part of my personality. How are you feeling?" Oliver asked as he started stretching with her,.

"Pretty good, had an odd dream but I forgot what it was about." Viviana said. "So we'll start them all off with some basic stretches, pushups and sit-ups. Running and I don't know what do you think Oliver?"

"That all sounds good, I'd like to add in some medicine ball work. It strengthens the core and the rest of the body." Oliver said. He was dressed casually in a pair of running shorts and a red t-shirt. Part of his hair was sticking up in the back of his head, clearly he had bed head.

"Good idea." Viviana said, she tried covering a giggle up with a yawn and failed perfectly.

"What's so damn funny?" Oliver asked, he didn't enjoy anyone openly mocking him.

"Your hair. It's sticking up like you played with electricity." Viviana said. She saw a mischievous gleam in Oliver's eyes before he used his excellent reflexes to tackle her to the ground.

"Let me fix yours for you!" Oliver said he ruffled her hair and smiled down at her.

"Come on Oliver get off." Viviana said as she laughed.

"Love to, sure you wanna do it on the pitch?" Oliver said before rolling off her, he narrowly missed catching a smack to the back of the head.

"You're twisting my words." Viviana said, she felt her lips quirk into a smile.

"Well we were in a pretty compromising position, of course I'm going to work with any innuendo that I can." Oliver said. "I love being on top anyways."

"Control freak." Viviana muttered.

"Yes, I really am." Oliver said as he smiled. He saw the other students walking towards the pitch, he could tell they were all incredibly tired. Most of them looked half asleep. "Do you want to call the troops into a line?"

"Alright good morning everyone. Fall in according you what year you're in." Viviana said loudly. She noticed that the students were looking around slightly confused. "You have 5 seconds to be in line or I'll drop you understand?"

"5, 4, 3, 2, good glad you all follow directions." Oliver said.

"Great we get two overbearing captains, just what we need." Fred whined.

"I heard that Wesley!" Oliver yelled.

"Alright everyone follow my movements, we're going to stretch, and then do some pushups and sit-ups before we run. Oliver is going to be helping everyone train because he knows more about group training than I do." Viviana said.

For the next half an hour the dropped to the ground doing pushups, and sit-ups. After that Oliver and Viviana paired them off and showed them how to use a medicine ball. Many of the students were complaining that they were already sore. Viviana knew that they were going to be very sore after the run. She and Oliver worked as a team during their own medicine ball routine.

"Form up!" Viviana called. "We're going on a fun run. I'll be timing each of you to put you into different running groups. I'll stagger each section by 30 seconds and this will be timed. The course is a one mile loop you have to run twice."

She got out a stopwatch and watched as the students ran around the pitch. There were a few that weren't bad, but most were terribly out of shape. She noticed that Oliver was keeping a decent pace along with most of the Quidditch players on his team. She knew that he conditioned them pretty hard so they would be able to keep up during the matches. She saw Neville trip and fall on the pitch and she ran over to help him.

"Are you alright?" Viviana asked.

"Fine just clumsy." Neville said.

"It's okay keep going, use your long legs to push you off the ground okay?" Viviana said.

When everyone finished running many of the students were out of breath and looked ready to pass out. She passed around water laced with an endurance potion and her version of a pepper-up potion.

"Drink the water, it will make you feel better. I'll post your scores in class tomorrow and you'll be assigned a team based on your running scores. There will be competitions throughout my class and you'll be mixed in with different students. Another team will be set up for those competitions, they will be different from your running group team. Alright everyone hit the showers and go to breakfast." Viviana said. She watched as Oliver waved his wand across the medicine balls and the shrunk and flew into his gym bag. "Thank you for your help."

"It's not a problem, this just enforces my team to really be in shape anyways." Oliver said. "Well I'm off to breakfast, care to join me in the kitchens?"

"I'd love to." Viviana said as she followed him into the castle. She noticed that they were quite close to the Hufflepuff common room.

"Tickle the pear." Oliver said.

"What?" Viviana asked.

"Tickle the pear on the painting." Oliver repeated. He watched her with a bemused expression as she slowly reached out and tickled the pear. He heard it giggle before turning into a handle. "Now we can have breakfast."

"Mr. Oliver! You've returned!" A small house elf exclaimed. "Are you wanting breakfast?"

"Thank you Toby, I would like some breakfast, some toast, fruit and sausage would be nice." Oliver said as he sat down next to Viviana. "Just let them know what you want okay?"

"Coffee, and some toast would be fine." Viviana said. She was clearly amazed at the sheer size of the kitchen, she saw all of the elves running around frantically as the prepared the meals for the other students. "If you have any over easy eggs I'll have two of them as well."

"Certainly miss, any thing for Mr. Oliver's girl." Toby said before running off.

"Well I'm not exactly," Viviana started.

"Just go with it, honestly." Oliver said.

"But we're not," Viviana tried to say.

"Together, I know. But it's easier on them." Oliver stated.

"Oh, how many girls have you brought here?" Viviana asked. She saw Oliver stop and think for a moment before he answered.

"None. You're the first girl I've brought here. I think you're under the impression that I get around a lot." Oliver said as he ate his breakfast.

"Well not in so many words, but you are very charming." Viviana said.

"I've had a couple girl friends, as in two. I didn't date them very long though, girls here are very narrow minded and I know that when I leave school I would rather find someone that can live the life I plan on living." Oliver said.

"Professional Quidditch right?" Viviana said as she dipped her toast in her eggs.

"Aye, most of the girls here think I'm some great catch, but I won't have them riding on my coat tails if you understand my meaning." Oliver said.

"Is there anything else Mr. Oliver and Misses needs?" Toby asked.

"Thank you Toby this was wonderful and I appreciate it." Viviana said.

"Really Toby you out did yourself. Thank you." Oliver added in.

Toby bowed low and quickly scurried off.

"I do understand that Oliver, you're really a great catch though. Do you know who you want to play for?" Viviana asked.

"Puddlemere United. The greatest team ever." Oliver said with a broad smile gracing his face. "I've talked to a few recruiters and I leave after I graduate for their training camps. I won't be first string right away, but I know I will be."

"Oliver for a jock you're incredibly smart." Viviana said. "I've seen your transcripts, you are brilliant."

"Well I did pride myself on earning top marks, I'm sure my Da and Ma would've crucified me if I didn't get good marks." Oliver said. "If I couldn't play Quidditch I'd probably be aiming for a spot with the Aurors. You need top marks for that, I studied hard in case something didn't work out for me."

"That's very mature of you." Viviana said, she looked at her watch and sighed. She had to start filling the different rosters with the students. "Thank you for breakfast Oliver."

"Hey if I end up playing in a game, you'd come see me wouldn't you?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver I'd love to see you in navy and gold. I think you'll really be a star." Viviana said. "Will you try something though?"

"What?" Oliver asked.

"Please, stop trying to pursue me." Viviana said. "I don't want you to fall for me."

"I won't fall too hard, you've already got me interested. You didn't answer my question." Oliver said as he stood in front of her, he was easily more than a foot taller than her.

"I will go to your games unless I'm on a mission." Viviana said.

"I will try and tone down my affection for you." Oliver said as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I know you're taken and I won't hurt what you have with Charlie, he's one of my mates."

"Thanks Oliver. If life were different I'd say we should give it a go. It's not that simple." Viviana said. "Oh and this if for you, it's all my old Quidditch plays."

"The bible! You're giving me your bible? Me?" Oliver exclaimed nearly jumping from foot to foot.

"Uh yeah, old moves I recorded." Viviana said. She yelped as Oliver picked her up and swung her around.

"You're amazing, really amazing. Bloody brilliant. I think I might propose." Oliver said.

"Put. Me. Down." Viviana said between laughter.

"Really thank you, I'll review it, and if I could, could we talk about it later?" Oliver asked.

"Sure, if you're willing to help me get the different teams together I'd be more than happy." Viviana said. She watched as he leaned in and slowly, and gently kissed her lips. "Oliver. Oliver stop."

"Sorry, got carried away." Oliver said with a grin before dashing out of the kitchens. "It was a friendly kiss, honest!"

Viviana walked back to her quarters and sat down. She felt the fatigue of not sleeping, her eyes felt like they were filled with dust. She saw a note on her desk with a box of potions.

_Viviana-_

_These should last you a month, take half of a vial before bed. Your dreams will be gone, just regular sleep. I hope these work, feel free to talk to me should you require anything else._

_Severus_

Viviana smiled and grabbed some parchment and a few items from her desk. She had gathered some rare herbs, and items on her worldly trips and decided to give him some.

_Severus, _

_Thank you very much. I have gathered some of these items on my trips across the globe and I thought that you might need them for some more complex potions. I hope you have a good week of classes. Take care-_

_Sincerely-_

_Viviana _

Viviana spread out rolls of parchment that she had charmed to write down all of the statistics from that mornings training. She waved her wand and silent called a blank book down. She started recording everyone's times from the run and any general notes that she could think of. She worked steadily until she heard a soft hoot, a brown barn owl was perched on her couch.

"Well hello, you can come over here." Viviana said as she untied the note attached to the owl's leg. She also fed the owl a treat. "Thank you, if you need water or food there's some upstairs.

_Viviana-_

_I hope to hear that you're doing well. I've heard your class is very demanding, but well worth it. I received your parcel this morning and I can't possibly accept what you've given to Arthur and I. You're already being so generous with taking the children to France, we can't possibly accept this. A two-week trip throughout Italy, and Greece is too much. I know you consider us family, as do Arthur and myself but we feel out of sorts accepting this gift. If you have free time I'd love to see you again. _

_Love-_

_Molly_

Viviana laughed lightly knowing that Charlie knew exactly what his mother would say. She showered before deciding to head over to the Burrow. She cast a fire spell into the fireplace before stepping in dropping into the Burrow. She saw Molly in the yard and she walked through the kitchen to see her.

"Molly!" Viviana called.

"Oh hello dear, I see you got my letter." Molly said.

"I did and I'd like to talk to you about it." Viviana said. "Charlie knew you very well, and he said that you would feel odd about accepting my gift."

"It's just too much, honestly we appreciate it but we feel bad accepting something like this from you." Molly said as she sat down with Viviana on the porch. She summoned a pitcher of lemonade and some fresh fruit.

"Molly, you were so welcoming to me when I first moved her, and I thought that you deserve a trip with Arthur. When's the last time you two had time to really relax and get away from everything? The kids are still in school and you wouldn't have to worry about them getting in trouble, they were going stay at school for the Easter holidays anyways, I promise to keep them safe." Viviana said.

"Well it's just that," Molly began.

"But nothing Molly, please I insist. You and your husband deserve a trip to yourselves." Viviana said. "I have so much money, I don't need it and I don't want it. Please take whatever gifts I give you without questioning it."

"Alright." Molly said.

"I'm not trying to buy your favor but you're like the Mother I never had and I think you need to be spoiled sometime." Viviana stated.

"Thank you Viviana I really appreciate it. You're incredibly gracious. Charlie writes about you often, I know not being around you bothers him but he does love you." Molly said.

"I know he does. He is very expressive." Viviana said. "Well now that that's cleared up I'm going to head back to school. I have some work I need to get done."

"Would you and Charlie mind coming over for dinner again?" Molly asked.

"Mind? No. We'd love to, I know I'll be on patrol the rest of the week and weekend, but perhaps in few weeks we could arrange something." Viviana said.

"That sounds lovely. I'll see you soon, stop over whenever you like." Molly said before Viviana disappeared before her eyes.

When Viviana returned to her room she set out her book and started recording names of people that showed up for her class.

Gryffindor: Oliver Wood, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Fred & George Weasley, Harry Potter, Lee Jordan, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Seamus Finnegan, Katie Bell, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom.

Ravenclaw: Roger Davies, Cho Chang, Luna Lovegood, Terry Boot and Michael Corner.

Hufflepuff: Cedric Diggory, Leanne, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot.

Slytherin: Adrian Pucey, and Draco Malfoy

Gryffindor greatly outnumbered the other students, and the common trend seemed like it benefited the Quidditch players. Most of them were used to dealing with the physical demands that a sport would require of them. Viviana wasn't sure exactly how she was going to split up the running groups. _Oliver, Fred, George, Harry, Ginny, Roger, Cedric and Adrian were the fastest runners; Alicia, Angelina, Lee, Seamus, Katie, Dean, Cho, Terry, Michael, Susan, and Draco were middle of the group for time, and finally Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna were the slowest. _ She decided to aptly name them Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie companies for their running teams. For the rest of the team assignments she decided to mix in different sets of skills. Clearly the best leaders were the different captains of their respective Quidditch teams, she decided to make each captain a squad leader. Oliver would command Harry, Fred, Ginny, Seamus, and Draco. Roger would work with George, Angelina, Hermione, Hannah, and Lee. Cedric would work with Cho, Dean, Michael, Neville, Leanne and Alicia. Adrian would work with Luna, Katie, Terry, Susan, and Ron. The teams seemed fairly split and it would force the houses to work together. Viviana stood up and walked to the fridge, she pulled out her coffee beans and started making a pot of coffee, she wasn't looking forward to seeing her class because she knew that they would fight about what teams they were put on. It was already past dinner when Viviana sat down to eat something in the kitchens. She had a bowl of soup and an apple. Half way through her dinner she saw the door swing open.

"Oh hello Viviana fancy on seeing you here." Fred said with a smirk.

"Yeah, fancy seeing you here, don't you have a detention you're supposed to be serving?" Viviana asked.

"I suppose, but I missed dinner so I'm eating a bite as fast as I can." Fred said. "Unless of course you want to write Snape and tell him I'm serving a detention with you."

"You sleep in the bed you make Fred." Viviana said.

"How are you able to tell me apart from George?" Fred asked.

She smiled and winked before walking out and heading down to the dungeons. She was whistling softly when she heard footsteps heading her way. It was Adrian, and he looked upset.

"Adrian?" Viviana asked.

"Hello Professor." Adrian said. He looked rather unhappy.

"Is there something bothering you Adrian?" Viviana asked, she didn't mind seeing him he was very different from the other Slytherin, rumor had it that he didn't resort to cheating on the Quidditch field.

"Well honestly, it's my family. They're insane. They want me to marry some daft bird from France. All they care about is the fact that she's from a long line of pure bloods. I've met her a few times and she dumb, like worse than Crabbe and Goyle." Adrian vented.

"You are your own person, you don't have to marry someone because your parents tell you that you have to." Viviana said.

"I wish that was true." Adrian said with mild disgust.

"Why don't you stop over for a night cap and we'll talk about it, I have a lot of insight I can help you with." Viviana said.

"Thanks Professor, I'll be by within the hour." Adrian said.

"You're welcome." Viviana said. She walked towards Snape's office and saw that he was yelling at Fred Weasley.

"You are late, that will be 25 points from your house, and another weeks worth of detentions." Snape said. He saw Viviana walk into his classroom and saw her smile.

"Severus, if I could have a word." Viviana said. "Fred was late because I asked him about his brother Charlie. I'm sorry. Please don't punish him because I held him back."

"Is this true?" Severus asked Fred.

"Yes sir. She wanted to know when she'd see my brother again, and if I had permission to go on a trip with the rest of my siblings." Fred said.

"Fine I won't take points or give you another detention." Severus said as he sneered. "You'll be writing your essay tonight, I assume you haven't finished it correct?"

"No sir, I haven't finished it yet." Fred says.

"Well finish it, what are you waiting for?" Severus asked. "Viviana if you will."

"Thank you Severus, I wanted to thank you for your help. The potion seems like it will help me a great deal. I don't exactly remember what the dream was about, but I know it was nasty." Viviana said.

"You're welcome, feel free to come by if anything else happens, I'm more than happy to speak to you." Severus said.

"I will, have a good evening, I'll see you later this week." Viviana said as she left the dungeons. When she arrived in her classroom she saw Adrian waiting for her patiently. "I'm sorry I'm late Adrian. Come on upstairs I'll fix you something."

"You're not late, thank you for speaking to me." Adrian said.

"What would you like to drink? I have some cookies too or Mrs. Weasley's famous chocolate cake if you prefer." Viviana offered.

"I'll try her chocolate cake, I've heard the twins talk about it. I'll stick with milk too. Thank you really, I appreciate it." Adrian said.

"I've heard that you were polite, and that you're one of the only honest people on the Slytherin team. How can I help you?" Viviana asked.

"Thank you for your praise. This cake is delicious, I'll have to send a note to Mrs. Weasley." Adrian said with a smile. "I don't want to marry this girl, she has nothing in common with me."

"Are you seeing someone now?" Viviana asked.

"Not any longer, I was seeing a girl I met over the summer, but my parents found out and they didn't approve of her. The threatened to curse her if I didn't leave her." Adrian said sadly.

"She was a muggle wasn't she." Viviana said.

"Yeah, she lived and worked in London. I met her when I was shopping for a new science fiction book. She worked at the bookstore and we really hit it off, she's brilliant. She's beautiful. I fell in love with her." Adrian said. "I stopped seeing her because I knew she would get hurt, if I kept seeing her."

"Adrian, you're 15 right?" Viviana asked.

"Well I'm in my 5th year, but I'm already 16." Adrian said.

"Well unless your parents make you get married before you're 17, my suggestion is to either move out or deal with them for another year before you move out." Viviana said. "I had your same problem, when I grew up. My parents were both very wealthy pure bloods, and they wanted me to marry this complete ass hat to help cement a deal for my fathers business. I left my family when I was about your age or younger. I haven't looked back."

"I guess I could do that, the only problem would be my house, they all know my problem and it's become a bit of a joke. Where would I live?" Adrian asked.

"I heard that you're very smart, talented wizard." Viviana said.

"I guess, I take my O.W.L.S. this year, I think I should do fairly well, I've studied very hard." Adrian said.

"Do you have your own private bank account? One that your family couldn't get into?" Viviana asked.

"No, I do have a lot of money saved up though." Adrian said.

"Okay well why don't we first get you your own personal account, are you free this Saturday?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah, I've got practice, but I'm free in the afternoon." Adrian said. "Why?"

"If you really are being completely honest I can help you set up your own account and I've been looking for someone responsible to rent out one of my old apartments." Viviana said. She knew she was taking a gamble but he deserved the same luxury of making his own decisions just like she was able to do.

"Why are you helping me?" Adrian asked.

"Because I want you to have the same opportunities that I had. I escaped, and bettered myself because if it. If you really want this opportunity I'll help you. Meet me here with muggle clothes on and we'll escape to London under a disguise okay?" Viviana said.

"I don't own any muggle clothing, my parents forbid it. I have a few suits." Adrian said.

"Okay well meet me here on Saturday after you're done with practice and I'll make it work." Viviana said before she stood up.

"Thank you Professor. I really appreciate your help and support." Adrian said.

"Send an owl this week to your girl in London. Ask her to meet you okay?" Viviana asked.

"Um, alright." Adrian said, with that he left her classroom and began his trek back to his common room.

Viviana curled up on her couch and thought about Adrian's life. He was in the same situation she had been in a few years ago. She didn't know a lot about his past, who his parents were or anything. She decided to owl one of her contacts and ask more about his background. When she finished her letter to her contact in Berlin she put her books away and made her way up to her bedroom. Boomer and another unknown owl were perched on the stand in her bedroom. Boomer looked quite content next to a beautiful snowy owl.

"Well hello little one, what can I help you with?" Viviana asked. The owl regarded her with cold eyes, and hooted softly. Viviana retrieved a letter that was addressed to her.

_Viviana-_

_You and I have never been fully acquainted. I believe we share a common person in our life. Dimitri was my ex-husband and I do not think he told you of me. The reason for this letter is because I haven't heard from him in over a year, this bothers me. Is he well? Where has he been? My name is Marianna Kushrinada, I was his primary school sweet heart. We married after he left school, and we also broke apart a few years later. I do not say this to dishonor him, if he hasn't told you about Nikolai Alexei Solovich his son. Nikolai is now nearing his 18__th__ year mark. I would request that you meet in person. It would be easier this way. You may send the owl back with your reply. _

_Regards-_

_Marianna Kushrinada_

Viviana laughed bitterly, his wife. Well ex-wife. Dimitri had never told her about his past, he hadn't told her that he'd had a son that was close to her age. Nothing, he told her nothing. She pushed her emotions down and slowly wrote a reply.

_Marianna-_

_I will plan a time to meet with you. Dimitri never told me of you or your son. I apologize to inform you that Dimitri left this world almost a year ago. I would gladly show you where I buried him, and be more than happy to meet your son and you. When's a good time to meet?_

_Sincerely-_

_Viviana_

Viviana sent the letter and watched as the owl disappeared into the night. She swallowed half a vial that Severus had given her and immediately felt dizzy and disoriented. She pulled the covers over her body and immediately fell asleep. This time there weren't any premonitions that plagued her body, or her mind. She slept soundly and deeply enjoying the peace that she deserved.


	12. All That Glitters

**Chapter 12: All that Glitters**

**Finally I can post again! There was a huge forest fire near my house a week ago, totally ridiculous! I hope everyone's doing well, life is hectic, same old story. I still need a beta, and I'm taking applications =) just private message me. I'd love a few more reviews, have a kickass week everyone!**

When Viviana woke up she saw the same owl sitting near her dresser. It had a new letter clasped in its beak, and she went and retrieved it.

_Viviana-_

_Thank you for writing back so promptly. It grieves my son and myself to hear of Dimitri's untimely death. He was a strong man. A good man. His son is as you American's say, a spitting image of him. He is tall, and strong and honorable. We have recently moved to England and we would be happy to meet with you this weekend. Would Saturday morning work for you? Please let us know we will await your reply._

_Marianna_

Viviana read the letter and frowned, she knew she could meet them this weekend, but she was apprehensive. What would they say about his death? Would they blame her for not protecting him? She still blamed herself for letting him die. She slowly stood and started writing her response to Marianna and Nikolai.

_Marianna and Nikolai,_

_I will be in London this weekend, you can meet me in my home. Use a floo and say the words 'still water manor', I will be around there around 11 am. You're welcome to stay as long as you wish. _

_Viviana_

Viviana slowly got dressed and walked downstairs to the Great Hall, she rarely ate with the rest of the houses but decided to sit in and view the students. She still had a class to prepare for and she wasn't sure if she would be able to teach this afternoon. She had to give them their own groups, and start them on some homework. She charmed a piece of paper to copy itself enough times to let the students know their groups and to meet in her classroom. She watched as the papers flew around the Great Hall and she noticed that a few of her students looked up at the table and smiled at her. Draco stared her down and gave her a very bitter grimace. Evidently he didn't enjoy being pared up with the people he hated. She saw Oliver smile up at her and Harry shake his head. Viviana left after breakfast and headed to her classroom. She set up different tables to mimic the different groups that the students had been placed in. She wasn't sure what they would think about working with different houses, especially because many of them were very set about working with their normal Quidditch teams. She sighed gently and decided to write to Charlie. He would want to know what was going on in her life, and she wanted to find a piece of normalcy in her life. She sat at her desk and began writing him a letter.

_Charlie-_

_I hope that life at your new reserve goes well. I had a really messed up dream recently, I don't remember all of it, (long story), but it shook me to the core. I have a lot to talk to you about, evidently Dimitri was married, got a divorce and has a son that's turning 18, I don't know how I feel about this. I'm meeting them this weekend. When are we seeing each other again? Take care, and don't become dragon food that'd really put a damper on my week._

_Viv_

After she wrote a letter and sent it off with Boomer she realized just how long it actually took her to write a few sentences. She was having problems with processing everything that had fallen on her over the past few days. She truly wasn't sure how she felt about Dimitri's hidden life. She felt sorrow that he would never see his son, anger over never being told about them and hurt that she was so blind sided over this whole mess. She tried desperately to remember the dream, it was important. She could almost make out what the dream tried to tell her, but it was like grabbing smoke, she could feel the essence without any substance. She wanted to scream in frustration, how could something so important be completely gone from her memory? She knew that Albus and Severus had worked her brain over to make her forget but did they take the memory from her completely? She made her way to Albus' office and patiently waited until he called her in.

"Ms. Valentine, are you feeling better?" Albus asked.

"Yes and no, I'm feeling fine but I'm troubled. I can't remember my dream and I know it played significantly in the times to come. What happened?" Viviana asked.

"You decided that you didn't want that memory so I took it from you, I have a copy of the original dream but it will be painful for you to watch." Albus said solemnly.

"I want to see it." Viviana requested.

"Are you sure?" Albus asked knowing full well that she was going to say yes.

"Yes. I need to see it. I need to understand something." Viviana said with absolute certainty. She watched Albus pour a memory into a basin and he motioned for her to look into the basin. As she peered in she fell into the swimming depths of her memory. It seemed as though time stood still. She saw herself wake up in the dream, saw herself struggle to accept Dimitri before her. She tried running to him to argue with him, to blame him for not being honest with her. No one looked at her in the dream, it was like watching a black and white film, the pictures were there, the sound was there, but they weren't aware. When she saw their pseudo children she started sobbing hysterically, knowing that if times were different those would have been their children. Half way through thinking that, she remembered Charlie, they could still have that future, that passion that life. She tried running through the halls of the house to give her any clue towards what happened, or what could happen. She came to a long hallway and before her stood a replica of herself, she remembered that this was most likely a doppelganger.

"You're back." The doppelganger said. "I wondered if you would figure this out. He betrayed you. Just like Charlie will."

"You're wrong. Why can you hear me?" Viviana asked.

"I am you. You are me. Of course I can hear you." The doppelganger said with disgust. "Are we always this slow?"

"You have nothing to do with me!" Viviana screamed.

"Au contraire. I will always be a part of you, the part that will eventually survive and surpass you. I tried warning you, you know." The doppelganger said, she watched herself smile a cruel, humorless smile.

"Stop it! Warn me about what?" Viviana questioned. She watched as the scenes changed and they were at the event that she originally attended.

"Stupid girl. I warned you that they would interfere. I warned you that your life is a sad semblance of a dream. Look at Charlie, he will marry her you know." The doppelganger said sadly. "He breaks you when you feel you're at your strongest."

"Impossible. He hates her, loathes her." Viviana retorted.

"So sure? Then why hasn't he written you?" The doppelganger said with a sad smirk. No longer did her shadow tease her, Viviana saw the pain in her shadows eyes.

"He's busy settling in." Viviana said.

"Busy with settling in with her." The doppelganger said. "You'll see my love, soon everything will be clearer, you'll be me. I will win. I always win."

With that Viviana was cast out of the dream, when she came out of the memory she was panting and breathing hard. She looked around and saw Albus kneeling next to her with a sad expression painted across his face.

"You understand now don't you." Albus said. "I didn't want you to see that again."

"Albus it was different. She was there, my shadow she spoke to me." Viviana said.

"Impossible it was a memory you could view, nothing not even yourself should have been able to communicate with anyone or anything in the memory." Albus said.

"I saw different parts of the house, she spoke to me." Viviana said. She tried to gauge his expression and was greeted with blank, calculated silence.

"Viviana I must implore you to keep this to yourself for the time being. What did she say?" Albus asked.

"She told me that they would interfere. I don't know who they are. She said Charlie would betray me like Dimitri did, when I feel my strongest he will betray me. What's this all of this mean Albus? Who is she?" Viviana asked, she looked visibly shaken.

"Riddles within riddles my dear. I don't know who they are. I don't know who she really is. She seems like a cast off of your subconscious. Did she express fears that you have?" Albus asked.

"No. Yes. No. Albus I don't know." Viviana said with uncertainty.

"Rest easy, we'll solve this. Go, you have a class to teach." Albus said. "We'll talk about this soon, but try and put this from your mind. I promise as soon as you leave you'll forget about this conversation."

"How can you be so sure?" Viviana asked.

"I will take your memories for a time and hold them until I feel you're ready to deal with them." Albus said before waving his arm, he watched her face screw up into confusion before regaining the normal calm façade she wore.

"Albus, why am I here again?" Viviana asked.

"You had a question about your class." Albus said with a merry twinkle in his eye. "You asked if the students had enough prior knowledge to jump into your class. You seemed quite worried."

"Right, well I think they'll do fine." Viviana said before smiling and waving goodbye. Something nagged at her as she left his office. Something she forgot, something she didn't do. She shrugged it off as nerves, and headed back to her classroom. She walked around the class room as she waited for the students to arrive. She heard a fluttering of wings before she saw an owl drop down from the rafters and land on her desk. She walked over and took the letter from the owl and began reading it.

_Viv-_

_I'm sorry you had a bad dream. Life at the reserve is hectic, they're still trying to make things work. I'm in charge of the keepers right now, and I think we'll really start picking up soon. I don't know when I'll see you again. I'd love to see you now, but it doesn't look like that's going to work. The apartment you're lending me is beautiful, and very comfortable. I usually don't get home until late and I might have to move closer to the reserve, the commute is wearing me down. _

_Dimitri has a child? Let me know how that goes. I have to get back to work._

_Charlie_

Viviana's fears weren't soothed when she saw that Charlie was thinking about living on the reserve, why wouldn't he want to live in their apartment? Was he feeling trapped by their relationship? She didn't have answers to her questions and decided to hold off and concentrate on the problems that were directly in front of her. She heard a bell ring and heard the hustle of students in the castle. As she sat down at her desk she saw a few students walk into the room and look around with mild curiosity.

"Good evening Professor." Harry said with a smile.

"Hello Harry, did you see who your team members would be?" Viviana asked.

"We all saw who they are." Draco sneered.

"Then you understand who to sit with. I've moved you all around with different members of the houses so you can learn to work together. Oliver, Cedric, Roger and Adrian will be your team captains in my class. Your other groups you saw on the list will be your team members for your physical training. Please sit down with your team members and we'll start today's lesson." Viviana said. She saw Oliver smile at her and she smiled back.

The student's all took their seats, and she sent a syllabus onto each of their tables. They shuffled to read what she wrote before giving her their attention again.

"Okay first as a team, you need to come up with your team's name. I've already chosen your company names for your physical exercise groups. Alpha team, Bravo team, Charlie team and Delta team. Don't feel bad if you're in a slower paced group, you will all be at the Bravo level by the end of my class this semester. Your home work for tonight will consist of a 12 inch paper discussing what you expect out of my class, your ideas for your group name and most importantly what you want to get out of my class to improve yourself. It will be due next Friday is this understood?" Viviana asked.

"Yes professor."

She watched as they furiously started working, the groups seemed wary of working together on the assignment but saw that everyone added input to their group name. When they all redirected their attention to Viviana she smiled at them.

"Captains have you made your decisions on team names?" Viviana asked. She watched them all nod their heads. "Alright well please share your names with the rest of the class."

Oliver stood up first and smiled at her, he handed her a sheet of paper. Soon the other captains followed suit and handed her their prospective team names as well. Viviana smiled at their careful creations as she read their team name ideas. Oliver had chosen to name his team the "Wraith" and picked them to be red, Cedric's team chose to name their team "Apache" and picked a vivid blue color, Roger chose to name his team "Knight" and chose orange to be their team color, Adrian and his team chose to make their name "Dreadnaught" and went with a classic green as their team color.

"You can either work on your homework for the rest of the class or start reading up on your next class. I will expect you all to be ready to train tomorrow morning." Viviana said. She watched as the students discussed their papers and worked as much as they watned to on their next class assignment. When the bell rang, she saw them all file out. Adrian and Oliver remained behind.

"Adrian, Oliver how can I help you?" Viviana asked.

"It's a private matter." Adrian said.

"Alright, Oliver is your matter also private?" Viviana asked.

"In a manner. Should I wait for you upstairs?" Oliver asked.

"Sure. Feed Boomer will you?" Viviana asked, she saw the confusion in Adrian's eyes and the quirky humor in Oliver's.

"Sure thing." Oliver said before wandering up to her bedroom.

"He's basically acting as my assistant with this class, he meets with me every so often so we can go over different things." Viviana said as she blushed gently.

"I'm not judging you, I heard you were dating one of the Weasley's though, complicated." Adrian said.

"I am dating one of the Weasley's, Charlie actually. That's neither here, nor there. What can I help you with?" Viviana asked.

"Well I wondered how I could reach Nora. She doesn't usually get letters by owl." Adrian said.

"That is a problem, okay I guess I could facilitate a phone conversation. Do you know her number?" Viviana asked.

"Yes, she gave it to me before I broke up with her." Adrian said. "I don't know how to use a phone exactly."

"You won't have to use a real phone, I created a device that will work with our magic, and their technology. It's pretty neat, remember to speak clearly and not yell. Speak to her like she's in front of you okay?" Viviana said. "Accio walkie talkie!"

A small device that looked like a common muggle head set flew into Viviana's hands. She handed them over to Adrian before she touched them with her wand.

"Speak the number you want to connect with and listen to it ring, when someone on the other end picks up you will be able to ask for her. Then you can talk to her. You can use the classroom to make your call, shrink them and keep them hidden okay? Press the little button with the star on it and you can listen to your voice mails." Viviana said.

"You want me to keep them?" Adrian asked.

"Sure they're just a spare set." Viviana said.

"I can't thank you enough, I don't know what I would do without you. You're really sticking your neck out for me." Adrian said before he asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I don't want you trapped the same way my parents tried to trap me. You have one life to live and you are responsible for living it the way you want to." Viviana said. "Are you still up for Saturday?"

"I admit I am apprehensive but it will be for the better, hopefully my family can accept the path I've chosen." Adrian commented.

"I hope that's the case. I hope your conversation with Nora goes well, let me know if you need anything else okay?" Viviana asked.

"I will, and thank you, see you tomorrow morning." Adrian said

"Goodnight." Viviana said as she walked up the staircase and into her quarters. When she walked in she heard Oliver laughing lightly, and she heard Boomer replying back to him. She found the two of them in her bedroom, Oliver was sprawled across her bed and Boomer was taking her time flying and diving at him. "Looks like you two are having fun."

"Sorry Viv, your falcon seems to enjoy a little rough housing." Oliver said. "You'll be wanting the letter she brought too."

"Thanks Oliver, give me a second to change, and you'll have my full attention." Viviana said. She changed into a black silk nightgown that fell to her mid thighs, it was laced up in the back. She brushed out her hair and brushed her teeth. When she walked back out into her bedroom she saw a faint blush cross Oliver's cheeks. He had pulled off his robes, tie, shoes and belt. He looked much more comfortable than he normally did in class. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Did you read your letter?" Oliver asked gently.

"I was going to read it soon." Viviana said. "Why are you so interested in me reading this letter?"

"Just curious, I suppose. It's from Charlie, I recognize his shoddy handwriting." Oliver said.

"I guess you would recognize his handwriting. You look comfortable." Viviana said as she handed him a new issue of Quidditch Weekly.

"Very, your beds a lot softer than mine." Oliver said. "Might have to spend more time here, oh and thanks for the magazine."

Viviana blushed gently then sat down next to him and started reading the letter Charlie wrote her.

_Viv-_

_I moved my stuff out of your house, I appreciate it, but I'm getting worn down from having to move from the house to the reserve. I won't be able to write you for a while, they have me traveling around the country. I'll be thinking about you always, let me know how your meeting goes this weekend. _

_Charlie_

Viviana sat there, and she could feel herself grow worried. Why did he need to move out, and why is he going to be working around the country? The whole reason he took this job was because he was sick of moving around so much. She tossed the letter onto the bedside table and grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill before writing out her reply.

_Charlie-_

_I understand your need for space, why are they moving you around? I thought you took this job to stay closer to England. Is everything okay?_

_Viviana_

Viviana looked over at Boomer and the falcon flew down to the bed and perched next to Viviana's head. She sealed the letter and attached it to Boomers leg and watched her fly out the window. Oliver was curled up reading a Quidditch weekly, and his brow was furrowed with concentration.

"You look like you're thinking very hard about something." Viviana said with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, just trying to figure out if Harry would be able to learn some of the moves in this magazine." Oliver replied as he looked over at Viviana he saw that she looked sad about something. "Charlie's letter wasn't the news you were hoping for?"

"Not particularly. He moved out of my house, and is traveling. Said he wouldn't be able to see me for a while." Viviana said sadly.

"Thought he took a job closer to you to see you more often." Oliver said pensively.

"Yep, I thought that too." Viviana said, she drew her knees to her chest and leaned against Oliver's shoulder. She felt his arm snake out and wrap around her shoulders. Something about the way he held her made her feel better, safer. "Thanks Oliver."

"Anything for a lovely lady. I hate seeing you so torn up about this. I'm sure it will work itself out." Oliver said, he pulled her against his chest and ran his fingers through her soft, silken hair. He loved the way she smelled, like fresh sunshine, spicy and intoxicating. "You're making it very hard to behave."

"Am I?" Viviana said as she looked up into his eyes, they were sparkling with humor and enticement.

"Very, you're dressed, but barely. Please don't change, I love the view." Oliver said.

"Thanks Oliver." Viviana said, she felt his arms wrap around her body, he was a good foot taller than her, and she fit perfectly against his chest.

"Thanks for the magazine, you don't keep it here to keep me happy do you?" Oliver asked. He noticed her blushing, and he smiled down at her.

"Not strictly, if my life had been different I probably would have gone pro." Viviana said.

"You're brilliant on a broom, wish you were playing for our team, not that Harry isn't fantastic but you're really something." Oliver said. He felt so at peace, as he held her in his arms, something about this was wonderful and perfect. He wished this was more than out of friendship, and he hoped that it would turn into something more than what they had now. "If I kissed you, would you kiss me back?"

Viviana sat there and thought for a moment, she was still with Charlie and didn't want to screw up their relationship, she was very attracted to Oliver but she pushed it down.

"Oliver, it wouldn't be a good idea if we kissed, I am attracted to you, but honestly you know I'm dating Charlie." Viviana said.

"True. Bugger you're too damn attractive for your own good." Oliver said, he started slowly stroking her side, and ran his fingers slowly across her body. He heard her sigh and her eyes were slowly closing. He didn't want to wake her up as he slowly climbed out of bed and stripped off some of his clothing. He found a pair of training shorts in her closet and pulled them on over his boxers before climbing back into bed with her. He pulled her tightly against his body and kissed her shoulder, neck and behind her ear before he soon drifted off into sleep.

_Viviana was sitting in her home in Ireland making a pot of coffee, the sun was out and it was beautiful. She heard a baby crying and she ran into the bedroom, a little boy with deep brunette hair was kicking and crying in the crib. She picked him up and started rocking him from side to side. She looked around and saw photos of the baby and of her, but none of the father. When did she have a child? Was this another weird dream? She walked over to the bathroom and saw herself standing in the mirror, without the baby, she looked happy._

"_You forgot to take the potion didn't you." Her reflection smiled at her. "Are you sure you want to talk?"_

"_Whose baby is this?" Viviana asked._

"_Well yours of course. He's beautiful. Strong. You named him Vincent." Her doppelganger said. "You probably mean, who's the father."_

"_Yes, who had this child with me? Where's Charlie?" Viviana asked._

"_Why do you want Charlie? He's going to throw away everything you two had together, he doesn't love you. I thought you remembered that." The doppelganger said. "His letters are shorter and shorter. Aren't you happier with Oliver?"_

"_I love Charlie, he's just busy. Oliver and I are just friends." Viviana said._

"_Just friends? So why's he just your friend? He's kind and loving." The doppelganger said._

"_We're just friends Charlie and I are doing well. It's hard being apart but we're happy together." Viviana said as she looked down at the baby. His eyes were the same color as Viviana's a deep violet color, the baby reached up and gurgled at her. He couldn't figure out any discernable trait that would let her figure out who the father was._

"_He's Charlie's. I see your still hung up on the paternity. You told Charlie you were pregnant after you found him in bed with Kate. He said that he'd pay child support but he didn't want anything to do with you." The doppelganger said as she reached out to hold the child. Viviana handed Vincent to her, and she watched as her doppelganger slowly rocked the baby back and forth. "Do you want to see what will happen?"_

"_He wouldn't do that, Charlie wouldn't leave me." Viviana said._

"_He will, I can show you if you'd like." The doppelganger said as she rocked the baby back and forth in her arms. _

"_How can you show me? This isn't real." Viviana said._

"_It's very real." The doppelganger said. "Follow me through the looking glass, but don't blame me when your heart breaks. Oh, and for all intensive purposes, you may call me Anne."_

"_Anne?" Viviana asked._

"_Yes?" Anne said._

"_Are you real?" Viviana asked._

"_Some what, I'm part of you, your future, your present and your past." Anne said._

"_I'm ready." Viviana said before she took Anne's hand and slipped through the mirror. She saw herself standing in front of a thick door, she knew that if she opened it, she wouldn't like what was behind the door._

"_Charlie's behind that door. This is his apartment at the Reserve." Anne said. "He won't see me, only you. You can choose to open it or you can turn around and wake up."_

"_Will he break my heart?" Viviana asked._

"_Yes, I've told you this a few times now. He will break you when you feel at your strongest." Anne said with a bitter smile. "You'll find someone else."_

_Viviana smiled and knocked on the door, she heard a shuffling behind the door and a woman laughing before the door opened. A beautiful blond stood at the door in Charlie's old jersey, and a nothing else. _

"_Can I help you?" Kate asked._

"_Yeah, I'm here to see Charlie, who are you?" Viviana asked._

"_I'm his fiancée, who are you?" Kate asked. "Wait you're his ex aren't you. Valerie."_

"_Kate who's at the door?" Charlie called._

"_Your ex." Kate said with a mean scowl. Charlie quickly ran over to the door and saw Viviana standing there._

"_Viv, what are you doing here?" Charlie asked._

"_I had to tell you something will you take a walk with me?" Viviana asked. She ran her hand over the bump in her stomach._

"_Viv, I wanted to tell you sooner, I didn't mean for you to find out like this." Charlie said._

"_Sure whatever." Viviana said._

"_You knew didn't you." Charlie said._

"_Yeah, you were getting more and more distant. I knew. Please take a walk with me." Viviana asked._

"_Kate I'll be back." Charlie said as he grabbed his coat. Viviana heard them arguing behind closed doors and smiled knowing that she was getting between them. Her heart was heavy and she felt broken, but strong enough to ignore the pain._

"_So, are you happier with her?" Viviana asked._

"_Viv, you were wonderful, but the distance, it grew to be too much." Charlie said. "What did you want to talk about."_

"_You knocked me up." Viviana said._

"_What? I thought you weren't able to get pregnant, because of the spells." Charlie said, he grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "What the fuck do you want?"_

"_Charlie stop it! You're hurting me!" Viviana said as she slapped him. _

"_What the hell do you want? You came here to ruin what I have with Kate? By lying about this shit? Honestly Viv, grow the fuck up. I don't have time for your immature bullshit!" Charlie said before scowling at her. "If you really are pregnant with my child you can either get rid of it, or I'll pay child support, I want nothing to do with you or that bastard."_

"_Charlie, I didn't realize you valued sneaking around with Kate and kept me on the side to fuck when you were back home. I'm not lying about being pregnant, you ass. It's your child and I won't get rid of it because you're a dick. I don't want your money, or you, I thought you'd want to know." Viviana said as she walked away from him. _

"_I'm sorry, I tried warning you." Anne said, she handed the baby over to Viviana._

"_Is this what will happen?" Viviana asked sadly._

"_You will see, maybe not quite like this, but similar." Anne said._

"_How do you know? How can you possibly know?" Viviana asked._

"_I know everything about you, I am you. I've been through this with your predecessors before." Anne said. "Life is a wheel, we're destined to repeat our mistakes."_

"_That doesn't make sense. He does love me." Viviana said._

"_Denial will get you no where." Anne said. "Wake up Viviana."_

Viviana woke up and swore loudly, she tried sitting up and found Oliver still in bed with her. _Oh hell._ When did she fall asleep? She pulled away from Oliver and went to the bathroom, she splashed cold water onto her face and started crying, she ran her fingers across her belly, she didn't feel anything. She looked at herself in the mirror and didn't see any bump, she couldn't remember the last time she had a period but she doubted she was pregnant, they had used the spells. She heard Oliver get out of bed and walk into the bathroom.

"Viv, are you alright?" Oliver said sleepily. He walked over to her and saw that she was crying.

"Bad dream, it's nothing." Viviana said as she wiped her eyes.

"About Charlie?" Oliver asked.

"Did he ever cheat on his girlfriends while he was here?" Viviana asked.

"Cheat on them? Not exactly, he never kept them around long though." Oliver said. "Why?"

"My dreams, keep telling me he's going to cheat on me. Am I setting myself up for failure?" Viviana asked.

"Do you love him?" Oliver asked.

"As much as I am able." Viviana said.

"Viv, as your friend, I'm saying that I know Charlie and he is honorable, but he also is a ladies man to an extent. There were a few women that would agree with that." Oliver said.

"Should I find solid proof?" Viviana asked.

Oliver wrapped his arms around her, he noticed bruises on her arms, and gasped softly.

"Viv, who did this?" Oliver exclaimed. He watched as she looked down at her arms in confusion.

"He shook me in my dream, but that wouldn't bruise me." Viviana said.

"Viv, you're telling me that in a dream Charlie shook you and you're bruised now?" Oliver said.

"Yeah, he shook me in the dream, we argued about something." Viviana said.

"Come back to bed, there's still a few hours before the sun is even up." Oliver said as he pulled her to the bed. Oliver pulled her into his arms and put the covers around her. "Do you want me to stay?"

"I can't betray him like this Oliver, I want you to stay, keep me safe; but honestly it isn't right." Viviana said.

"I understand, it might be odd if someone caught us, even if what we were doing is totally innocent." Oliver said as he kissed her forehead softly.

"Oliver stop." Viviana said. She looked into his piercing brown eyes and saw the need in them.

"Minx." Oliver said with a crooked smile "I tired to stay away from you, but honestly woman, you're killing me here."

Viviana laughed gently, and smiled up at him. _You've really created a mess you know, between Charlie and Oliver you're screwed._

"Couldnae help myself." Oliver said. "I'll try and behave, until everything is sorted out at least."

"Thanks, I refuse to cheat on him. You wouldn't want to wonder if I was cheating on you, correct?" Viviana said.

"True, I trust you, you've always stopped and never started anything with me." Oliver said with a smile. "Go to sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay, sweet dreams." Viviana said.

"Better if I was waking up with such a beautiful woman, but hey, that's what dreams are for." Oliver said as he walked out of her bedroom.

Viviana curled up and tried to fall asleep. Memories plagued her mind of what her last dream had been. She swallowed a few sips of the potion that Severus had made for her and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Oliver walked back to the dormitories and managed to get back into the tower without running into anyone, when he got back to his quarters the twins were waiting for him. They both had mischievous looks on their faces.

"One twin, there's a prank going on. Two twins and I feel like I'm on the chopping block." Oliver said.

"So where were you?" Fred asked.

"With a friend." Oliver stated plainly.

"A female friend?" George asked.

"Yes." Oliver said. "What's it to you two?"

"Curious, you were in Viv's lesson, but never came back to the room. Even ran into Adrian and he said you were waiting in her apartment." Fred said.

"You do know she's dating our brother right?" George said.

"No, really? I never would have guessed." Oliver said gruffly.

"Honestly Oliver what are you doing chasing her?" Fred asked.

"We're just friends she needed to talk to someone." Oliver said as he threw his robes off and sat down with a bottle of whiskey with the twins. He took a long pull and passed the bottle to Fred.

"What about?" Fred asked.

"Your brother actually. He's ignoring her, moved out of the house she was letting him use, and now he said he won't be able to see her until summer." Oliver said angrily.

"Yeah, Charlie as much as I love him, can be a total ass to the girls he's dated. Figured he would've been better with her, especially because his last girlfriend destroyed him." George said. He also took a long pull from the bottle. "Although mate, doesn't explain why you look like you spent some quality time with her."

"She fell asleep talking to me, and I fell asleep too. Nothing happened, and not from lack of trying, believe me if she was single I don't I could stop myself." Oliver said.

"Ah, so you do fancy her." Fred said with a wicked grin.

"Yeah. I do. I want both of you to keep it to yourselves. She doesn't need any more trouble than she's already having." Oliver said. By the time he said that he realized they were all 2/3rds of the way through the bottle. "You realize she'll ride us hard for showing up to practice pissed."

"You wish she was riding you hard." George said jokingly.

"Mate, shove it." Oliver said, he was blushing quite hard. "How old is she again?"

"Let's see you're 18, and she is I think 19, just turned 19 before moving here too. She's quite a bit younger than Charlie now that I think about it." George said.

"Anyways, we figured Charlie would use her as a rebound." Fred said.

"What makes you say that?" Oliver asked.

"Because he was still hung up on Kate, his ex, when he met Viviana." Fred said. "Mum was hoping they would stay together, but based on what you've said about Charlie I think he's probably thinking of a way to get away from her."

"Bugger, she'll be heart broken. I think she actually loves him." Oliver said.

"Well then you can come in and sweep her off her feet. You hurt her and we'll want to do you in, I was hoping she'd actually marry my brother." George said sadly. "I bet she's a hell cat in the sack."

"Alright enough of this, we need some sleep before she forces us to run and do other healthy things." Fred said.

"Fact. Crash on the couches if you wish, I'll see you all in a couple hours." Oliver said. He walked to his bedroom before stripping out of his clothes and passing out in bed. He smiled when he thought about her, they might not be together yet, but couldn't get her half naked body out of his mind.

When Oliver, Fred and George actually woke up the groaned. Oliver passed around a hangover tonic and still they felt like shit. As the walked to the pitch they knew they were cutting it very close to being late. They tried jogging there to speed themselves up and they arrived slightly out of breath. They saw Viviana standing there with a bemused smile on her face.

"Morning boys, have a bit of a rough night?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah a bit." Fred said cheekily.

"Alright well everyone form up, prepare for some basic stretches and then we'll be sprinting up and down the stairs. Captains come here please." Viviana said. "Alright you're all in great shape, I want you to discuss among yourselves what group you want to tackle for the run, and you'll alternate what groups you run with each week. The slower groups will run the pitch, and the faster ones will be running up and down the steps. Remember that they aren't used to training like you have, don't run them too hard and hydrate. Got it?"

"Alright shall we pick straws?" Cedric asked.

"Fine." Adrian said, he grabbed one of the straws with an A drawn on it. Roger drew a D, and Oliver drew a B. Cedric was left with Charlie group.

"Alright to your teams and enjoy the run, meet back here in an hour." Viviana said as she loped off into a long run.

"How can she honestly be this cheery so early in the morning?" Oliver asked.

"Some of us are morning people." Cedric said.

"I'm not." Adrian said with a laugh.

"I second that." Roger said with a smile.

"Alright Alpha group you're running with me." Adrian said.

"Beta group form up." Oliver said.

"Charlie group follow me." Cedric said.

"That leaves the Deltas with me" Roger said.

The different groups followed their captains and began either running on the pitch or running up and down the stairs of the Quidditch pitch. By the end of the hour everyone looked exhausted. They met down at the pitch and saw Viviana holding different medicine balls. They all groaned slightly when the realized that their practice wasn't over.

"Form up!" Viviana called out. "We still have another hour to work, so we'll work with our medicine balls and then do a brief cool down."

"This is stupid." Malfoy said.

"Drop." Viviana said as she walked over and stood before him.

"No." Malfoy said.

"Drop or I will personally drop your ass here and now. Do you understand me you spoiled rich, whiney bitch?" Viviana yelled, she sounded like a drill instructor. "You willingly joined my class and you will willingly listen to my orders or I can always talk to your head of house. Drop."

"When can I stop?" Malfoy asked.

"When I say stop." Viviana said as she walked away, counted to 30 and yelled out, "Rest."

"Viv?" Oliver whispered.

"Yes?" Viviana said.

"I think everyone's bushed." Oliver said.

"Right you are, alright everyone hit the showers, and I'll see you in my class tomorrow." Viviana said. She used her wand to send the medicine balls back into the Quidditch locker rooms. Before she stripped down to her suit and walked over to the Black Lake, she saw Fred and George run up to her. "Can I help you two?"

"Well we wondered if you'd spoken to Charlie recently." Fred asked.

"A few words here and there through post why?" Viviana asked.

"Well Oliver may have mentioned that you two were drifting apart." George said realizing that admitting that Oliver spoke about their relationship wasn't the smartest. "Well he said it while he was drunk."

"Yeah, honestly we kind of got him drunk before asking about it." Fred said.

"Don't you think that your brothers relationship with me is somewhat private?" Viviana asked.

"Sure, we just wanted to warn you about Charlie." Fred said.

"About what?" Viviana asked.

"He may have been using you, we thought we should warn you." George said.

"Using me for what?" Viviana asked.

"Well as a rebound, he really loved his ex, and I don't know if he ever actually got over her." Fred added in.

"Thanks boys, I'll talk to him soon." Viviana said as she leapt into the lake. As she swam across the loch she thought about Charlie, was he using her? She frowned at the possibility but it wasn't like he had really proved that he loved her. She felt the water swirl around her, stroke after stroke. It calmed her, she was left with every stroke she made in the water. She felt the sun come out, and she saw the reflection bounce off of the water. She swam back to the shore and walked out of the water and headed back to her room. When she got there Boomer had returned with a letter and she dried off and read the letter.

_Viv-_

_Everything's fine, nothings wrong. I'm sorry if I'm worrying you. I love you sweetie, I want to see you soon. The reserve is working me like a house elf, I don't have a lot of time to do anything but work, then sleep, work, and then sleep. I heard your were working the students hard as well, good job they need it. Ginny wrote me the other day and she said you looked a little off, everything okay with you? Mum still can't believe we're all taking a trip this summer, she thinks that we're soon getting married, I politely told her that we're taking things day by day. Honestly love, I really miss you, your sweet smile, your fervor for life, you're beautiful eyes. Many other things too, but I don't want to get you too worked up. _

_Have you had any other dreams? I feel like there's something wrong and I'm not there to help fix it. Love you babe._

_Charlie_

Viviana immediately pulled out some parchment from her desk and began writing a reply.

_Charlie-_

_I'm really glad that you wrote me back. I figured you were working really hard, and you didn't have a lot of time to write me. I'm doing fine, the dreams are really getting to me. You were back with Kate in them, I've had a few. I guess it made me worry about your feelings for Kate and for myself. It scared me, my latest dream I was pregnant with your child and you denied it, I ran from the dream and from you. What would we do if that happened? I'm excited to see your family outside of school, they really wind me up sometime. _

_I miss your sweet smile, and your amazing personality. Don't work yourself too hard. I know you always do. When will we see each other?_

_Love you back-_

_Viv _

Viviana sighed contently and relaxed. She knew she really shouldn't have listened to everyone else, Charlie loved her and she loved him end of story. She hopped into the shower after she sent her reply back and hummed as she got dressed. She walked out of her classroom and towards the center of the castle. She ran into a few of her students and asked them how they were feeling, most of them were a little sore but thought they'd manage to keep up in her class. She wandered the halls exploring the castle and returned after dinner to her classroom.

Viviana woke up early in the morning on Saturday and put on a long sleeved silk black dress with crimson trim, it went to the floor and had slits clear up to her hips, she added black leggings to her ensemble and a pair of her boots. She put on thick black leather belt and slide her wand up her sleeve, added a knife to each boot and one up her other sleeve. She wanted to be prepared for meeting Dimitri's family. She found a long hooded cloak the fit tightly across the bodice, and slowly belled out towards the bottom. She used her fireplace to floo to her house a few hours before she was supposed to meet with them. She cleaned the house quickly and started baking a fresh loaf of bread, and set up a simple brunch for them. A few minutes before they arrived she set a few candles out and started the fireplace. She heard the doorbell ring, and she walked over to the door.

"Welcome to my home." Viviana said. Marianna was a stunning woman, she had deep brown hair with piercing blue eyes, she was petite and dressed very well. Her son Nikolai was dressed conservatively in a suit, and was a spitting image of Dimitri. "Please come in."

"Thank you for allowing us to visit. It honors us." Nikolai said. "I apologize for the mannerism of this meeting but it was something that had to be done."

"Please sit, I have a small brunch prepared, can I get you anything to drink?" Viviana asked.

"Vodka if you have it." Marianna asked.

"How do you want it?" Viviana asked.

"With orange juice please." Marianna said. "For Nikolai he will want your fire whiskey please."

"Of course." Viviana said as she brought some into the room along with the rest of the food. "Please make yourselves at home."

"I want to know when you saw my ex-husband last." Marianna asked.

"I was with him when he died. We were in Italy almost a year ago. He had proposed, and Death Eaters ambushed us. They tortured us for days, and I escaped. I tired rescuing him but they had bled him nearly to death. I avenged him and buried him near our home in Italy." Viviana said, she prided herself in not choking up.

"These men, they are dead?" Nikolai asked.

"Yes I killed them all." Viviana replied.

"How is this possible? You are not older than my Nikolai!" Marianna asked.

"He trained me since I was working with him, we had been partners for a few years before he died." Viviana said. "He said I was his best student."

"Father never spoke of you in his letters until one day, he said he loved you, and trusted you. It shocked us, he left our life long ago to protect us. He had a death mark on him and didn't want his past digressions impact our lives." Nikolai said. "This is why we wondered why he would start a life with you."

"We're both marked for death." Viviana said solemnly.

"Then you will die much like he did." Marianna said.

"It's likely." Viviana said.

"Why walk such a sad road? You're young, you should live like a young woman not burned by death." Marianna said.

"Perhaps, but it's a road I am best suited for." Viviana said.

"Dimitri left you a good portion of his wealth. Keep it, blood money." Nikolai said with disdain. "He left us equal portions along with this."

"What is it?" Viviana asked.

"A letter to you, he wanted you to have this should he die. We couldn't open it." Marianna said.

"Because it wasn't your business." Nikolai said angrily. "Father wanted it for her, not for you, you dishonor his memory by trying to read it!"

"Stop, honestly. Please don't argue." Viviana said.

"I apologize for trying to read it, I wondered why he deemed you so special to him. I know he loved you very much. He hoped to marry you." Marianna said. "I think this letter will answer why he didn't tell you of us. Do not feel so broken over this, he loved you greatly."

"Father spoke of you often, he spoke of you with reverence and dignity." Nikolai said.

"I wish I could have met you earlier. I wish he would have told me earlier." Viviana said.

"You may read the letter we will wait." Marianna said with finality.

_Valya-_

_If you are reading this I must have died. I am sorry to have left you with so many problems I could not have helped you face. I am sorry to have left you with problems such as my family. I loved Marianna and Nikolai very much but the idea of putting them in danger with my death mark, we were a happy family until those that put this mark on me tried using them as leverage. I pray you understand me when I say this. Do not love anyone freely, love is a trap a clever trap. _

_Personal affection is a luxury you can have only after all your enemies are eliminated. Until then, everyone you love is a hostage, sapping your courage and corrupting your judgment.-OSC_

_Believe me when I say this my little one, I knew you could protect yourself and myself when it came down to that. Do not feel bad, you did your best to protect me, you are the light of my life and I can't imagine my life without you. I believe that you and I would have been happier later on in life, with our own little ones running around the house. I have preserved a memory, a dream I once had my love. I would ask you to treasure this memory I have, it was something I had hoped we would accomplish and it pains me thinking that you and I did not have this chance. I will wait for you beyond the veil. Good bye my Valya, may your face always feel the warmth of the sun and wind on your face my love. _

_Be at Peace. Be strong for those that need it. _

_Your Beloved-_

_Dimitri_

_PS: Do not let my wife see this memory, or my son, she will want to know what I wrote you about, she doesn't need to see this. _

Viviana slipped the potion that came with the letter into her sleeve without letting them see it. She felt tears grace her eyes, and soon the disappeared tears were useless boughs of emotion. She looked up and saw the grief in Marianna's eyes.

"Did he give you peace?" Nikolai asked.

"Yes. He did." Viviana said. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"It was a mutual loss, he was a good man." Marianna said.

"Yes he was, thank you for contacting me." Viviana said. "I have to leave soon, I have to meet with a student."

"May we see each other again?" Nikolai asked.

"Yes, you know how to reach me if you need anything." Viviana said. She leaned over and hugged them both.

"Thank you Viviana for honoring my Dimitri." Marianna said.

"Thank you for being brave." Nikolai said.

Viviana walked out of the house and appeared near Hogwarts. She used one of the hidden passageways and appeared in the castle. She was early to meet with Adrian and met him in her classroom. He was dressed in a suit and looked very nervous.

"Adrian come upstairs." Viviana said with a gentle smile. She heard him following her upstairs before turning around to make sure he was okay.

"Are you sure we can do this?" Adrian asked.

"Yes we can, I'm going to cover you in a small glamour that everyone but those working at Gringotts will see." Viviana said, she changed his hair to blond, his eyes turned grey and his suit turned into a pair of well fitting black pants, a band t-shirt, and a modified dinner jacket. "Now you fit in with the hipsters of London."

"What about you?" Adrian asked.

Viviana smiled and changed her hair into a violent shade of deep violet, and her eyes were lined with kohl and she added blood red lipstick. A black mini skirt, with a long sleeve black shirt with a blood red leather corset on top of the shirt. She also made her boots into platforms and made her hair waist long.

"Does this work?" Viviana asked. She saw Adrian blush when he looked at her.

"I didn't know you were so great at transfiguration." Adrian said.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Ready?" Viviana asked.

"Yes I think so. I talked to Nora she will meet us at a coffee shop." Adrian said.

"Good, let's go." Viviana said. They both flooed into London, an old telephone booth and they exited quickly. They walked to Gringotts side entrance and looked for a goblin named Ripstop. "Hello Ripstop."

"Ms. Valentine." Ripstop said. "How can I assist you?"

"Adrian needs you to open up his own account where he is the only one that can get into it. He also needs a muggle one opened up in his name with the same stipulations." Viviana said.

"How much will Mr. Puecy be putting into an account as such?" Ripstop asked.

Adrian wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to the goblin. He saw the goblin look at it for a moment, before the goblin handed him a key, and two cards made out of plastic.

"This is your new key, along with a muggle credit card that will automatically be deducted from your muggle bank. A debit card that can be used to get cash in muggle currency. Did you need to make a withdrawal today?" Ripstop asked.

"Yes, I will need 200 pounds in muggle money, and 20 galleons." Adrian said.

"Wise choice." Ripstop said. "Everything is complete is there anything else?"

"Ripstop would you please show me a print out of my accounts?" Viviana asked.

"Could I securely deliver them to you at Hogwarts?" Ripstop asked. "Your accounts are quite substantial."

"That's quite alright, I also need to take 1000 galleons out, and I need a new set of cards as well please." Viviana requested. She took out her wallet out of her purse and watched as Ripstop filled her wallet with galleons and handed her the new cards.

"Thank you again for your patronage." Ripstop said.

"Thank you for your diligence it's much appreciated." Viviana said before leaving with Adrian. She grabbed his hand and sidelong apparited him just outside a town home. It was a modern two story in a muggle neighborhood, it had a fenced in back yard and hedges running along the fence so they would have privacy. She opened the front door with a key and showed him around. "You can either use the furniture that's here or buy your own. I've never stayed here."

"Thank you for doing this I really appreciate it." Adrian said, he heard a tentative knock on the door and he walked over to it. "Nora!"

A pretty muggle girl stood there wearing a pair of jeans and a band t-shirt with a hound's-tooth jacket over the shirt. She looked nervous but smiled when she saw Adrian. Viviana had quickly changed his hair and eyes back to normal before he opened the door. She saw Nora look over at her with a confused expression.

"Who's she?" Nora asked shyly.

"I'm his teacher, didn't Adrian tell you that I would be here?" Viviana asked politely.

"Oh you look different than I expected." Nora said with a shy smile.

"We went incognito today, and I never changed back. Nora good luck to you, and Adrian I'll see you at school. When you need to get back here's a token." Viviana said as she handed him a small coin, she whispered "hold it and think of my classroom it will get you back".

"Thanks Viviana I'll see you later this week." Adrian said.

"Thank you for helping him." Nora said.

"Nora it was a pleasure I hope I see you soon." Viviana said with a smile.

Viviana took herself to the house in London where Charlie had been staying. When she walked into the house she didn't notice anything particularly out of place, a few things were moved around differently than she had originally left it. She walked up to the bedroom and saw that it had recently been cleaned. She felt compelled to open the drawers and closet in the bathroom. She saw a dress hanging up in the closest that she couldn't remember owning. It was far too long for her, and definitely not a shade of yellow she'd ever have worn. It also smelled like a perfume that she had never smelled before. She frowned and made careful documentation of seeing and finding the dress in the bathroom. She saw a few other things throughout the house that she didn't remember seeing before, a few things seemed to have a womanly sense to them. When she left she thought she'd write Charlie and ask him about these issues. When she got back to Hogwarts she decided to take a nap and let everything soak in before she made any rash decisions. She didn't want to drive him away, but there was that small nagging voice in her head telling her to confront the issues she had with him. When she got to her living quarters she saw a note on her desk from Oliver.

_Viv-_

_Got a few questions for you, dinner?_

_-Ollie_

Viviana smiled and sat down, she used the reverse of the paper he left and scribbled out a message.

_O-_

_Not going to be around this weekend, if you're free come with me._

_V_

She sent her note with Boomer before she sat down and looked at the rest of her mail that was piling up on her desk. Her holdings in Gringotts and a few other wizarding banks had accrued quite a bit of profit. She snorted softly, wondering if she would ever live to spoil her children. She felt a vial in her sleeve and pulled it out. She laid down on her bed and slowly drank the vial. She was transported to her home in Italy with Dimitri.

"_Little one, we see each other again." Dimitri said with a sad smile._

"_Dimitri!" Viviana yelled before jumping into his arms. "Please don't leave me again."_

"_I believe you jumped last time, I didn't leave you." Dimitri said with a smile. "You always knew when something wasn't right."_

"_No I tried following your instructions, if that had been the case you would have lived." Viviana said sadly._

"_You met my ex-wife and son?" Dimitri asked._

"_Yes. Nikolai seems like a spitting image of you." Viviana said. _

"_Are you ready to see what I dreamed of little Valya?" Dimitri asked._

"_Will I want to leave?" Viviana asked._

"_I don't know, don't you have someone to love?" Dimitri asked as he frowned. "Charlie?"_

"_I don't think I love him, I'm infatuated with him, but I feel like something's wrong. Dimitri I think he's cheating on me, if not emotionally very physically." Viviana said._

"_Then you now what you have to do." Dimitri said._

"_I'm ready." Viviana said as she smiled at her lover, and slipped her hand into his._

_They were steadily whisked away into the mist, a soft fog prevailed over the house, and Viviana could hear little feet running on the wooden floors. Once again she was confronted with her children._

"_Mama you have returned!" Natasha said. "Alexei will be so jealous! I told him you would return."_

"_Hello my Natasha." Viviana said as she held her daughter close to her. "Alexei where are you?"_

"_Mama! Papa said you were okay. That you would wake up." Alexei said with a smile._

"_And where is your Papa?" Viviana asked._

"_Right here Valya." Dimitri said with a smile, he curled up on the bed next to her and kissed her lips gently. "We wondered when you would wake up."_

"_What do you mean?" Viviana asked._

"_You were sleeping for so long, we have things to do! We're going to go to the zoo! Then the park and you promised that you would let us fly." Natasha said excitedly._

"_Go get dressed your Mama and I have things to discuss." Dimitri said._

"_Okay we'll see you soon!" Alexei said as he leaned down and kissed Viviana's cheek._

"_Dimitri?" Viviana asked. "Is this what you dreamed of?"_

"_Yes little Valya. You've seen them before haven't you." Dimitri said._

"_You as well, why are you haunting me?" Viviana asked._

"_I am not trying to haunt you, these are the children we should have had. I serve as a reminder that all you once loved was taken from you, would you gamble a new set of lives for a few moments of happiness?" Dimitri asked._

"_You mean Charlie." Viviana said sadly._

"_I mean anyone, no one will protect you. They won't understand what you've done. I've seen you at your most brutal, you are not a woman to take lightly." Dimitri said._

"_Stop it! Why won't you let me be happy? What does it matter?" Viviana choked out._

"_I want you to be happy, would you so soon bury another man you love?" Dimitri said._

"_I would wish you were here again." Viviana said. "No one can take your place in my heart."_

"_This I know little one, but you must remain strong, as strong as you are able my Valya." Dimitri said as he leaned down and kissed her passionately. "This was the future I dreamed of, for us. I will see you again Valya, when you cross over to save someone."_

"_Dimitri what does that mean? Riddles and riddles!" Viviana asked._

"_It means that you will pass through the veil, neither dead or truly alive. You will see me in a few years until then I must send you back." Dimitri said sadly. _

"_Don't go. Please don't go." Viviana sobbed. "Please if you loved me don't go."_

"_Valya it's time to wake up, you won't remember this dream until you need to. We're gone from your memory, do not cry, we will meet again." Dimitri said, with one final kiss he was gone and Viviana woke up in her bed._

"Viv!" Oliver called. "Viv are you awake?"

"Oliver?" Viviana called from the bedroom. "I'm upstairs."

"Wow, you look sexy." Oliver said with a roguish smirk.

"Oh I forgot to change." Viviana said. "Decoy mission, had to change myself."

"Don't change your clothes, but I'd love to see the real you." Oliver said as he sat down on the bed with her. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah weird dream, don't remember it." Viviana said with a yawn, she changed her hair back to its normal length and color, her breasts were fuller and she shrank a few inches.

"You're really making it hard to behave." Oliver said as he adjusted the way he was sitting.

"Oh hush." Viviana said with a smile.

"Where are we going today?" Oliver asked.

"Italy." Viviana said. "I need to confront my demons."

"You look pissed what's wrong?" Oliver asked.

"I think he's cheating on me." Viviana said as she pulled out the dress and the make up she found at the house in London. "I found this stuff in the house he was staying at and it's not mine."

Oliver took the letter Charlie wrote her, and the other articles she collected from the house. He didn't want to tell her that she was wrong, the evidence was overwhelming, but he thought she should confront him face to face.

"Viv you need to confront him face to face." Oliver said. "I'll go with you if you want."

"I need to know. I need to know if he's been using me." Viviana said as she stood up she packed a few things into her purse and looked at Oliver. "Are you sure you want to go with?"

"Yes, I'll come, I already packed my bags anyways." Oliver said as he stood with her, he pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her back. "You might want to change though, I wouldn't want you to catch cold."

"Smart man." Viviana said lightly. She changed into the outfit she was wearing earlier and smiled at Oliver, he was a great guy. "Ready to hit the Reserve?"

"Yeah." Oliver said. They shouted into the flames and the both jumped into the fire and came out on the other side.

When the entered the Reserve she could hear and see the dragons. They were beautiful creatures, intelligent and strong. She remembered what his home looked like from a past dream and followed her gut intuition. When she arrived at the door she hesitated before opening the handle. She glanced over at Oliver before opening the door. The breath she was holding was slowly left out, Viviana could smell the cloying odor of a woman's perfume. She heard muffled words echoed in a room towards the back of the apartment.

"Charlie! You said we were leaving!" The woman complained.

"I have to finish this letter, Viv, she worries if I don't write." Charlie said.

"Well she should worry. What do you think she'd do if she found us in bed?" The woman laughed. "I mean she must really love you to think you're not fucking me like crazy."

"Kate, knock it off. I haven't told her yet, I'm not sure how I want to go about it." Charlie said.

"You really should be honest with her. Don't repeat my mistakes." Kate said solemnly.

"We've been together for awhile now, don't you think I want to tell her? I don't love her." Charlie said. "She was fun, but the distance outweighed the good."

"I know, that and I did make it hard on you to say no." Kate said.

Viviana and Oliver couldn't hear anything else besides the low moan of a woman enjoying herself and Charlie's moans as well. Oliver saw Viviana's face and it was a look of excruciating pain. Oliver reached out and touched her arm, and she turned to him and slipped her hand into his. She took out a quill and wrote a letter to Charlie.

_**Charlie-**_

_**Stopped by today, guess you've been with Kate for a while. I left her makeup and clothing she left at my house you were living in on the counter. Don't bother contacting me, I heard you two screwing in the bedroom. You won't be able to find any of my safe homes. Don't plan on seeing me again. I knew something was wrong, luckily I followed my intuition. Hope the sex is good.**_

_**Viviana**_

She took out one of her knives and stabbed it through the table. She heard something fall over in the bedroom and Charlie opened the door, he had thrown on a pair of jeans and she could hear him walking to the kitchen. Viviana stood next to Oliver, her eyes were full of fire.

"Hello Charlie, having a nice weekend?" Viviana said.

"Viv?" Charlie said, he looked completely unsure of himself.

"Yeah, I think you know Oliver." Viviana said. "I had to see for myself if you were faithful. Glad I found out on my own."

"It's not like that. Honest." Charlie said. Kate walked out into the kitchen wearing his old Quidditch jersey.

"So you're his play thing." Kate said brashly.

"Charlie get her the fuck out of here unless you seriously want me to beat the shit out of her." Viviana said calmly.

"Kate go back to the bedroom." Charlie said.

"I'm not afraid of her." Kate said haughtily. She was half a foot taller than Viviana and stood with confidence. "She doesn't look as tough as you described her."

"Kate go back to the bedroom." Charlie said again. "Now!"

"Yes Kate dear, go back and spread your legs like the whore you are. Does he pay you?" Viviana said with a cruel smirk.

"Viviana enough." Oliver said as he pulled her back against his chest. "Charlie I thought you would've grown up."

"Oliver, have you nailed her yet? She's quite the hell cat in the sack." Charlie said.

"I'm her friend, not someone that will abuse her emotions and mind fuck her." Oliver said.

"She's your type, petite, fit, great tits, great ass." Charlie said. "Honestly Viv, what did you expect?"

"Not this Charlie. Not this." Viviana said bitterly. "Tell your whore her stunk up my house, it's yours now, or whatever's left of the ashes."

"Tell me to my face!" Kate said as she pulled out her wand and threw a well-placed curse at Viviana.

Viviana threw herself to the floor and missed getting hit by mere centimeters, she stood up and decked Kate. Kate fell to the floor in a broken heap.

"Well Charlie as fun as this was goodbye." Viviana said.

"Oliver make sure you ride her rough, that's the only way she likes it." Charlie said with a smirk. He turned away from them and didn't see Viviana's fist aim true to his face. The resounding crack of her bones breaking his cheek sounded like a bullwhip cracking.

"Come on Viv, this will be better to deal with later. Come on. Get us somewhere safe." Oliver said as he pulled her into his arms and away from the Reserve. He got them as far as London before he saw her hand, it was swollen and bloody. "Viv where can we go? Do you want to head back to Hogwarts?"

"No, hold on, I'll get us to a safe house." Viviana said. She looked completely unfazed and empty. She wrapped her left arm around Oliver's neck and transported them to her house in Italy, the last time she'd been there she had buried Dimitri. "Come inside."

Oliver followed her patiently, he wasn't sure what he should do, on one had he wanted to hold her and promise her everything was going to be fine. The other half of him wanted to beat the crap out of Charlie. He had been kind of an asshole to the girls he dated while he was in school, but nothing like this. Oliver looked over at Viviana and saw that she was walking dejectedly, and almost without purpose. He lit a fire in the living room while she sat down and stared blankly at the wall. He went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee, he also grabbed a few towels to blot the blood that was dripping from her hand. He wouldn't have guessed that her small frame had so much kinetic power to break Charlie's cheekbone.

"Viviana, look at me." Oliver said tentatively. "I need to check out your hand okay?"

"Why?" Viviana asked plainly.

"You broke it." Oliver said as he gently caressed her face, and saw the tears in her eyes. "Please, let me see it, before it starts to heal broken. You have strong hands and they need some medical attention."

"Alright." Viviana said as she lamely slipped her broken hand into Oliver's capable ones. She didn't feel the physical pain emanating from her hand she felt the open wound that was all that was left of her heart. _Why? _Was the only question that would form in her mind. She watched Oliver tenderly treat her hand, as he washed the blood from her knuckles, and use his wand to try and straighten her digits out.

"This will hurt." Oliver said. "Your hand wasn't meant to go through his face."

"But it did make me feel better." Viviana said with a coarse laugh.

"Ready? I'll count to three." Oliver said. "One, two. Episkey!"

"Damn, that hurt more than I remember." Viviana said, she leaned into Oliver's shoulder before letting loose a cry of pain. "I need to shower, please."

"Okay, where are we?" Oliver asked. The house was sitting on a hill near an expansive forest, the sunlight was filtering in through the windows and a beautiful vineyard was on the side of the house.

"Italy. This is my home in Italy." Viviana said sadly. "I haven't been here since last year."

"Oh." Oliver said. "Let's get you into the shower, do you want me to make something for dinner?"

"There isn't any food here Oliver." Viviana said dejectedly. "We can run into town when I'm done showering."

"Alright, let's get you upstairs so you can get clean, I'll put your clothes away if you want me to." Oliver said lightly.

"That's fine, do you need to shower too?" Viviana asked. Oliver noticed that she hadn't met his eyes the entire time he was fixing her hand, and now she wouldn't meet them either.

"Yeah, I can wait until you're done." Oliver said with a genuine smile. He tilted her chin up so that he could look deep into her eyes. "I promise everything will be okay."

"You can't promise me that Oliver, but it's pretty to think so. He wasn't my world, he was an infatuation." Viviana said as she slowly got undressed and walked naked to the bathroom.

Oliver heard her sobbing quietly as she showered, he wanted to rush to her side and hold her in his arms. He knew that she probably needed time to adjust and he gave her the space she needed. He sighed as he put away their clothes, he wasn't trying to rush her into anything, and he knew that she'd need time to adjust. As he put away her clothes an owl flew into the bedroom. He took the letter from the owl and saw that it was addressed to Viviana, it was from Bill Weasley. He frowned, he wasn't sure if it was a letter telling her off, or of congratulations. Oliver took off his coat, unbuckled his belt and stripped off his shirt. He heard the water turn off, and heard her slip and swear in the bathroom. He ran to the door and knocked before entering.

"Heard you fall, anything broken?" Oliver asked, he avoided scanning her nude body, and kept his eyes firmly focused on her face. He saw her smiling and she started laughing, soon the air was rich with her wonderful alto tuned laugh.

"Yeah, my ego's bruised. Any possibility of maybe getting me a towel?" Viviana asked between boughts of laughter.

"I suppose, I do like you naked." Oliver said with a cheeky grin. He turned around and grabbed a towel for her out of the linen closet. He turned around and stood chest to chest with Viviana. He blushed lightly before slowly draping the towel around her.

"Thanks Ollie." Viviana said. She stood on her tippy toes, before kissing him lightly on the cheek. "For everything."

"Sure, I would do anything to see the sadness in your eyes gone." Oliver said. He pulled her tightly against his chest and kissed the top of her head. "I promise to help you through this, I'll even try and tone down my ministrations towards you."

"Oliver, as much as I want to believe you, I know in a few moments you'll make some joke about me being naked with you, doing the horizontal tango." Viviana said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I've come to expect words like that out of your mouth."

"True, well while we're on the subject, we could move to the bed and dry you off that way." Oliver said as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"There's the Oliver I've come to know and enjoy." Viviana said while laughing. "Go shower I promise to be in a better mood when you're done."

"Promise to be naked in bed when I'm done?" Oliver asked.

"Nope, you won't be my rebound. I promise to wear something sexy if you'd like." Viviana called out as she watched Oliver walk to the bathroom with a towel in hand.

"What's sexier than naked?" Oliver asked.

"The illusion that I will be naked later on." Viviana said.

"That does give me something to think about. Be out in a minute." Oliver said before hopping into the shower. He heard Viviana quietly singing a tune he wasn't sure he knew, it was filled with sorrow and bitterness. It sounded like explained exactly how she felt, and the melody spoke of her memories that were bringing an impending breakdown.

"I awoke only to find my lungs empty,

And through the night, so it seems I'm not breathing.

And now my dreams are nothing like they were meant to be,

And I'm breaking down, I think I'm breaking down.

And I'm afraid to sleep because of what haunts me,

Such as living with the uncertainty

That I'll never find the words to say which would completely explain

Just how I'm breaking down

Someone come and, someone come and save my life

Maybe I'll sleep when I am dead,

But now it's like the night is taking sides

With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind

Could it be this misery will suffice?

I've become a simple souvenir of someone's guilt

And like the sea, I'm constantly changing from calm to ill

Madness fills my heart and soul, as if the great divide could swallow me whole

Oh, how I'm breaking down

Someone come and, someone come and save my life

Maybe I'll sleep when I am dead,

But now it's like the night is taking up sides

With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind

Could it be this misery will suffice."- Sleeping Sickness- C&C

Viviana stopped singing when the song was over, she felt herself relax and she heard the water turn off in the bathroom. She was still humming the melody when Oliver walked back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"I will come and save your life, your worries can stop occupying the back of your mind, your misery will not suffice. You're madness will not fill your heart and soul." Oliver sang back to her. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"When you're not being a horny teenager you can be quite sweet." Viviana said.

"Ah, you make it so hard on me sometimes, I really wanted to say that I loved your state of undress, but it sounds ridiculous now." Oliver said with a smile.

"I didn't know what I wanted to wear, honestly." Viviana said as she opened up the closet. She saw a few summer inspired dresses. She pulled out a dark, midnight blue strapless dress that flared out and had lilac colored silk on the hem and bodice. It fell to her mid thighs, and she slipped on a pair of lilac ballet flats. When she turned around she saw Oliver zipping up a pair of khaki pants, and he had a blood red polo sitting on the bed. Small droplets of water clung to his well-formed chest and abdomen. She smiled at him, and thought how old she felt, even though a few months separated their age. "You look handsome."

"You always look beautiful." Oliver said as he reached over and slowly zipped up her dress. "Silk always looks perfect on you."

"Where are we going as dressed up as we are?" Viviana asked.

"To the Market. I thought we might want to change our appearances slightly, and then we won't have problems with running into anyone we may know." Oliver said lightly. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't mention this before but Bill wrote you a letter."

"Did he?" Viviana said. She wandered over to the bed and saw it laying haphazardly on the comforter.

_Viv-_

_Charlie stopped by the house, with a very busted jaw and cheekbone. He told me you did this, he also alluded to the fact that he was cheating on you with Kate. I'm terribly sorry, truly, Fleur sends her condolences and wonders when you're free. She asked that she take you to Paris and experience it as she has in past times. Our family knew nothing of his affair with Kate, you must believe that. I've never seen my Mum scream, rant and rage like she did when she heard what he did. If you need anything, please feel free to ask. My family's homes are always open to you._

_Sincerely-_

_Bill and Fleur_

"That was nice of him. Evidently his family didn't know of his 'illicit activities', his mother really ran him through the cleaners when she found out. Fleur wants to go to Paris with me at some point." Viviana said merrily.

"Well it's a good thing I suppose. You look incredibly happy right now." Oliver said with a smile. He had pulled his polo over his body, and lightly dabbed a bit of his cologne onto his pulse points. He looked over at her and saw her adding a spritz of perfume as well. He could smell the sweet spiciness that he'd grown accustomed to, as well as the beautiful woman in front of him. "You smell good enough to eat."

"Honestly Oliver, you'll turn my head with comments like that." Viviana said with a small smile.

"Are you ready to face the world?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, let me work on my hair quick." Viviana said, she subtly changed her features, her hair grew longer and it was wavy. Her eyes were a deep sapphire blue, and she made herself taller. She looked less Asian, and more exotic. She looked over at Oliver and saw his jaw drop.

"I didn't realize that you were so great at transfiguration, you look like a completely different woman." Oliver said.

"Do you want me to change your physical appearance?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah that's fine, Couldnae change my accent though." Oliver said proudly. He felt his hair get warm, along with his eyes and face. When he looked in the mirror his hair was a dark chocolate color, his eyes added glints of amber and green and his face had been tweaked just a bit.

"See you look slightly different not so much that you don't recognize yourself, but you won't be recognized." Viviana said.

"You look so exotic." Oliver said. He cupped her face with his hand, he leaned down and gently kissed her lips. He shifted his weight until he was holding her against his body. He slowly intensified the kiss and ran his fingers slowly though her hair. He felt her arms wrap around his body and clutch him tightly to her body, "That was nice."

"Well if we want to eat we're going to want to actually go into town." Oliver said. He said as he grabbed a cloth bag from the closet, he slipped his arm around her and they walked out into the evening sun.

Viviana remembered every cruel word Charlie had said to her. Every smirk, and the way that Kate paraded around in front of her while she saw Charlie desperately trying to play down what he had done. _She warned me, Anne did warn me this would happen, how had she known?_ She look up at Oliver and saw him smiling down at her. She felt the butterflies that were currently tickling her stomach. He had been her friend since they met a few months ago, she knew she couldn't officially date him until he left school.

"What's making you think so hard?" Oliver asked. They were walking down a cobblestone path and he could see the market up ahead. He could also smell the delicious foods that were being prepared for the evening.

"I'm just remembering my relationship with Charlie. One of my dreams warned me that he would betray me, and break me." Viviana said sadly.

"It will get easier." Oliver said.

"I know I feel better already. Right as rain." Viviana said.

"That's awfully close to a lie." Oliver said.

"Maybe. Have you found anything else out about Puddlemere?" Viviana asked. She saw Oliver's eyes light up.

"Yes, actually heard from them this week. They want me to join up with their summer training right out of Hogwarts. They promised to play me in a few matches here and there, and eventually move me up to first string." Oliver said proudly.

"I'm glad to hear that, you will be amazing." Viviana said.

"Now you look worried." Oliver said as he turned her around to meet his eyes. "What?"

"I'm just thinking about all of this." Viviana said.

"You mean about us." Oliver said.

"Yeah, I guess so." Viviana replied. "I don't want to rush into anything. I won't be pushed around like Charlie did with me either."

"I wouldn't do that to you. Why don't we take it day by day. You stated that we couldn't date until I was out of school anyways, and I only have another month or so." Oliver said.

"What will you do after you're done playing Quidditch?" Viviana asked.

"Well I want a family, while I'm still playing, and maybe coach a junior league. I haven't stopped thinking about joining the Ministry later on. I guess we'll see. My family is pretty well off, they want me to enjoy my life, that's why they were so supportive of me joining a professional league." Oliver said.

"I'm glad that they supported you. That's very important." Viviana said.

"What will you do when you're done teaching this year?" Oliver asked.

"Well I think I'm going to work with Interpol. I was very successful when I had my own branch of covert operations. I loved it." Viviana said.

"I won't see you much." Oliver said sadly.

"Well sometimes you will, I will mostly be working on catching the people around us like the Death Eaters in this country and rebels else where." Viviana said. "I'd be traveling now and again but it will work out."

"Let me know what you're planning on doing, I'll be living near the Puddlemere training grounds, maybe we could stay together." Oliver said hopefully.

"We could. I think I need to work out my issues before we move in together, won't you get sick of seeing me every day?" Viviana asked playfully.

"Nope, it's impossible to get sick of seeing you." Oliver said. They arrived at the market and saw different stands open offering fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains and some stalls where vendors had already prepared different street foods. "Do you want to shop first or eat first?"

"Why don't we shop and then we can go to dinner." Viviana suggested. They walked around the noisy market and picked up different things that looked good to them. Viviana said she'd make fresh pasta tomorrow, along with steak medallions in a red wine reduction. After the finished shopping they sat down at a local restaurant and ordered an antipasti platter.

"I think we need to celebrate." Oliver said.

"What are we celebrating?" Viviana asked.

"We're celebrating a new chapter in our lives and the continued exploration of our relationship." Oliver said. He called the waiter over and ordered a bottle of expensive champagne. "This marks a new beginning, you're free from the pain that was pronounced in your life, you are free from the doubt and may this mark a new testament to your freedom and happiness."

They both took a slung back their first glass of champagne. They had finished their meal and now were slowly dancing together on the balcony of the restaurant. Oliver marveled at her movements, she was very graceful. He had been forced to learn how to properly dance when he was younger, being raised in a pure blood society made him learn the all of the proper mannerisms of a high-class etiquette. Oliver spun Viviana around and dipped her low. He marveled at her form and beauty.

"Where did you learn how to dance?" Viviana asked.

"My parents had me take etiquette lessons as a child and dancing lessons as well. They're both wealthy pure bloods, and I had to learn different ways of impressing that crowd." Oliver said as the continued dancing together.

"They've paid off." Viviana said as she leaned close to Oliver's chest. He smelled like fresh rain, clean and crisp. She sighed happily as they held each other under the twilight of the stars. Her mind was clear, and she was content.

"Madame, vuoi come me di portarvi il conto?" Asked the waiter. (Madame would you like me to bring you your check?)

"Mantenere il cambiamento." Viviana said. (Keep the change)

"Are you ready to go home?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, I'm ready to go home." Viviana said. Oliver slipped his arm across her waist and walked with her back to her home. When they arrived back at her villa they put away their groceries and kicked off their shoes. "Would you like to watch a movie?"

"How about we just curl up in bed and relax." Oliver said with a smile, he lead her back upstairs to the bedroom and undid his belt. He looked over at Viviana and saw her standing by the window, the moonlight illuminated her profile, she was back to her normal appearance. "You are so stunning."

"Oliver you're so kind." Viviana said as she turned to him, she slipped off her jewelry and set it into the bowl next to the bed. She walked over to him and leaned against him. She felt him reach around her back and slowly unzip her dress, she felt it fall to the floor and pool around her feet.

"Beautiful." Oliver said as he leaned down and kissed her shoulder and neck. She was dressed in a satin pair of panties and a silk slip. The ivory silk slip contrasted with her golden skin. He felt himself tingle lightly and he knew she took the glamour off. "Want to join me in bed?"

"Yes." Viviana said as she smiled against his chest. She gasped lightly when she felt Oliver whisk her off her feet and carry her bridal style to the bed. He gently set her down and leapt over her on the other side of the bed.

"If I kissed you, would you return it?" Oliver asked tentatively.

"Women don't like answering questions, they prefer a man to act out on his passions and make a judgment from there." Viviana said.

Oliver sat up and covered her body with his; he leaned down and slowly worked his lips across her jaw, her neck, and collarbone. He felt her body shift against his, her back arched and she let out a small moan. He continued down her body, kissing her between her breasts as he slid his hands under her slip until he picked up the edge and pulled it over her head. The sight of her naked made him catch his breath. He felt her fingers work through his thick hair and slowly trace across his upper back. Her nipples were a dusk rose color; her breasts were full and enticing. He leaned down and slowly sucked one of her nipples into his mouth; his other hand slid up and cradled her body against his. Her frame was very delicate; she was so much smaller than he was. He sat up between her legs, and leaned down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. He felt their passions erupt between them; he slipped his tongue into her mouth, and traced the insides of her lips. She tasted like sweet peppermints, coating his tongue like candy.

"God you're a work of art. Beautiful." Oliver said with a smile. "I've wanted to kiss you like that since we met."

"That was nice." Viviana said with a smile. "Unfortunately for you, I think we should stop there, I won't use you like a rebound."

"I understand, want me to sleep in the spare bedroom?" Oliver asked.

"Not particularly. Stay." Viviana said. She watched as Oliver pulled off his shirt. She smiled at him and slid out of bed, she went to the bathroom to wash up before bed. When she returned she saw Oliver patiently waiting for her.

"Come to bed love." Oliver said with a carefree smile.

"Tomorrow I want to show you something, it's something I need to let go." Viviana said.

"Okay, well until morning come over here, fall asleep in my arms." Oliver said. He pulled Viviana close to his body, and heard her sigh and fall asleep. He traced the outline of her face with his fingertips; he trailed them across her shoulder and down across her lower back. He felt her shiver against him and he smiled. He knew that it would take time for her to get over what she'd been through with Charlie. It wouldn't be easy on either of them, Oliver knew she was emotionally unstable and he didn't want to push for a relationship with her. He had fallen hard for her, she embodied what he wanted in a girl. He knew his parents would be very accepting of her, and of her profession. He thought about situations where their lives would work well with each other, she would be done with work and home before his training ended for the day; they could go to his games on the weekends; and they would be able to live together. He fell asleep with a sure smile on his face.


	13. Sweet Surrender

**Chapter 13: Sweet Surrender.**

**Hi everyone! I apologize for the long time between updates, I've had a bunch of other things I've had to take care of, hope everyone is doing well. R & R please =)**

**I still only own my portrayals of my characters and my own plots.**

When Oliver woke up the next morning he looked for Viviana and didn't find her next to him in bed. He heard different rustling in the kitchen; he slipped out of bed and threw on a pair of shorts. He saw Viviana standing in the kitchen humming softly to herself. She was wearing a cotton sundress with cherries printed across it. It looked like she was making muffins, and he saw a fresh pitcher of orange juice sitting on the table along with a pot of tea.

"Good morning beautiful, sleep well?" Oliver asked as he walked over to her.

"Best sleep I've had in a very long time." Viviana said with a sweet smile. "I'm making orange and cranberry muffins."

"That sounds wonderful." Oliver said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. He picked up a copy of _The Daily Prophet, _and saw new that's Sirius Black had been spotted all across London. Oliver thought that the article was a load of bollocks, and anyone that claimed to have seen him all over London was either lying or the Ministry was really daft at catching him.

"We have to go back to school today." Viviana said. "As a matter of fact, we should really attempt to not disclose our personal relationship."

"That's probably a good idea." Oliver said, he looked over at her and watched her drop the batter for the muffins into the tins she had already greased. "What are we exactly?"

"Good friends." Viviana said, she looked up and saw that Oliver was frowning slightly. "I mean no offense when I say that, I think we need to get to know each other fully before we actually get into anything."

"I suppose that's true, still, I thought we were going to be more than just friends." Oliver said.

"In time perhaps, I think I need some time to iron out what I'll be doing after teaching this year." Viviana said. "Dark times are ahead of us, and I'll be in the thick of things."

"I might not be as seasoned as you, but I was accepted to an early Auror program straight out of Hogwarts." Oliver said. "You really don't have to worry about me."

"What gave you the idea that I was worried about you?" Viviana asked.

"The class you're teaching is to prepare for the war that will come, isn't it? I am proficient at defense, charms, transfiguration and potions. I will be able to handle myself; I know you worried about dating Charlie because he wasn't as skilled with those subjects." Oliver said.

"You are right in those facts." Viviana said. "You'll be safe while you're playing Quidditch anyways, far away from the trouble."

"Viv, something I can't exactly ask my parents because they just want me to be happy. Do you really think me playing Quidditch is the right choice? I would be a great Auror." Oliver said with certainty. He watched her put the muffins into the oven before sitting down across from him.

"Oliver what would make you happy is the key towards your future, play Quidditch. If you want to later on then go for the Aurors, maybe take a few classes on the side to keep you sharp." Viviana said with a smile. "Remember to enjoy yourself; you don't want to live with regrets. They eat at you, and tear you apart."

"Wish you played?" Oliver said with a sly smile.

"Yes, I wish I had a normal life growing up. Fate had a different path for me, I don't regret the things I did, but if I could I would have chosen a different course." Viviana said. She didn't appear to be saddened by her statement; there was a lingering moment that Oliver could see her eyes dim though.

"You could still play you know." Oliver said.

"I could, but I have a duty to use the skills I have to better the world." Viviana said. She stood up and pulled the muffins out of the oven. "After breakfast I want to show you something."

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"Dimitri's grave." Viviana said. "It's been almost a year since I've been there."

"Okay." Oliver said with a smile. He lifted his wand and procured a bouquet of lilies, and red roses. "We can put these on the grave."

"Thank you Oliver, it means a lot to me." Viviana said as she set the muffins on the table and kissed his neck softly.

They continued to eat breakfast and they spoke of Hogwarts and of a few other matters. Harry Potter came into focus, and Viviana hoped he would be ready for the fight that would consume him. Oliver said that his fatal flaw was his willingness to sacrifice himself for the better lives of those around him. Viviana agreed and thought that there were so many things that he could learn from her.

"I heard you were taking the Weasley's on a vacation to France this summer." Oliver said.

"Yeah well, Charlie and I were going to join with Bill and Fleur originally, now I'm not sure what we'll do." Viviana said. "I want them to go some where different but I don't know where."

"Take them to France, they'll enjoy it. Don't change your plans because of one prat." Oliver said with a smile. He reached out and stroked the back of her hand.

"I know you'll be very busy this summer." Viviana said.

"With the summer training I will be, I'll have weekends off for the most part." Oliver said. "Would you like it if I joined you?"

"That might be fun, it's a lot to ask though, and you're really going to be tired." Viviana said.

"Well maybe not every weekend but I promise to visit you thorough out the summer; I'd miss you too much to not see you." Oliver said. "Would you want to meet my parents?"

"Oliver I will meet your parents, when we're officially together. Think how they would receive me, to know I was a teacher while you were at school. It's very unprofessional." Viviana said.

"That's a point well taken. Well sometime this summer, you can come over and it'll be nice. I'm sure they will be very excited to meet you. They only met one of my girlfriends and they weren't too fond of her." Oliver said. "We dated for a couple months and broke apart. She wasn't a particularly nice individual, or a smart one."

"So why did you date her?" Viviana asked.

"She liked Quidditch, and she was pretty." Oliver said. "I know I sound shallow, but finding a woman that can enjoy watching and playing Quidditch isn't a small task. Perhaps that's why I am so drawn to you. You're independent, intelligent, beautiful, and you plan a mean game. You really are everything I'm looking for in a woman."

"You're so kind Oliver. I admit you're incredibly attractive, you're smarter than people give you credit for, you're determined, a great leader and your accent drives me nuts." Viviana said while smiling and blushing.

"So it's the accent huh?" Oliver said. He increased his brogue in his last statement. He watched as she blushed gently. "You're far too beautiful when you blush. You look so innocent."

"Hush." Viviana said as she stood and collected the dishes, she waved her wand over them and watched as they became clean and put themselves away. "Let's shower and get ready."

"Want to conserve water?" Oliver said with a wide grin.

"Alright, just this one time." Viviana said.

"I'm looking out for you, if I remember correctly you fell down last time." Oliver said. He pulled his shirt over his head and pulled off his shorts. He looked over and saw her fiddling with the zipper on her dress. Oliver walked over and slowly unzipped her dress for her; he leaned in and kissed slowly down the length of her spine. He felt the goose bumps on her flesh, and he slid the dress off of her body. He was surprised when he saw that she was already naked, he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. "You're so beautiful."

The shower was incredibly large; it was carved marble that had built in benches and alcoves to hold different soaps, and shampoos. It had a glass door the slid open and two different taps that would make the water fall like rain onto their bodies. Oliver turned the shower on, and watched as the room filled with steam. He looked into Viviana's eyes; they showed sadness, and honesty. Oliver leaned down and slowly kissed along her collarbone, her neck and finally he pulled her tightly against his chest and kissed her passionately on the lips. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and he picked her up and set her down on the edge of the counter.

Viviana felt Oliver grow with anticipation against her body; he kissed her so passionately, running his hands across her body. She sighed, and moaned when she felt him reach down between her legs and slowly start to stroke her center. She felt one of his long digits side into her body, and she could tell she was already wet.

"Merlin woman, you're so wet." Oliver groaned against her neck. Oliver slipped two fingers into her dripping pussy and started to rub her clit with his thumb, he felt her shake against his chest and whimper. "That's it baby, fuck, so hot."

Oliver leaned in and pressed his lips against her breasts, he licked and sucked on her hardened nipples. He felt her walls slowly start to clench and churn around his fingers, he began working them deeper until he could feel her g-spot.

"Oliver, please." Viviana begged. She opened her eyes and looked into his deep brandy brown ones, they shone with a sexual lust; she protested when she pulled them from her body.

"Are you sure you want to continue to fool around?" Oliver asked.

"I don't want you to think that you're a rebound." Viviana said, she realized that in some point of him playing with her he also got naked, she could feel his tip pressing against her. She pulled Oliver tightly against her body and felt the tip slowly slide into her. He felt thicker and longer than Charlie did, and he was slightly curved so that when he filled her, he brushed against her g-spot.

Oliver smiled at her, he loved how tight she was, she was able to take his entire length as well. He remembered the first girl he slept with, she hadn't been a virgin and still he made her bleed. _Fuck, so tight, so wet, so hot._ Oliver slowly pulled himself out of her body and pushed himself slowly back in until he felt himself bottom out. He shuddered, it had been a while since he had, had sex and she felt amazing wrapped around him. He picked her up and carried her into the shower, the water pounded against their bodies. He pressed her back against the cool marble and grabbed her hips and began thrusting into her body.

"Oliver, oh god! Harder. Faster." Viviana screamed, her fingers were digging into his well-muscled shoulders as she gripped her tightly. She felt him brush deep inside of her, every stroke he brushed her g-spot and when she ground down against him her clit was rubbed against his body. She pulled him down for a kiss and they kissed passionately as he continued his assault on her body. She felt him slide out of her, and turn her around. Her breasts were pressed against the marble and she felt him slide into her from behind.

"God Viv, that's it baby, fuck you're tight." Oliver called out. He reached around the front of her body and started stroking her clit, he pinched it and felt her cum hard around his cock. He had his arm wrapped around her breasts; he gripped her hip in his large hand and resumed thrusting himself deeply into her body. He felt the familiar tingling in his balls and he grunted against Viviana's neck. He felt himself surge into her body and he moaned as he finally came. He held her tightly against his chest and his heart rate slowly decreased. He kissed her shoulder gently and turned her around and slowly began kissing her tender lips. He held her against him and wrapped his arms around her body. He violet eyes were shining, and her smile reached her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"That. Was. Wonderful." Viviana said, her voice was breathy and her chest slowly rose and fell.

"Still think you'll treat this like a rebound?" Oliver asked.

"No. I don't." Viviana said she reached over and started working a rich, lemon scented lather into her hair. "Mmm, I love this shower; it feels like I'm showering in a waterfall."

"It's quite refreshing." Oliver said as he washed his hair. He reached for a sponge and mixed some basil lemon soap into it and slowly worked it across her body. He saw her close her eyes and smile.

"Thank you, for everything. You're being very patient." Viviana said.

"I know I have to remain patient to keep you around." Oliver said.

"Perhaps, you weren't patient a few minutes ago." Viviana said as she worked the sponge against Oliver's body.

"I think you enjoyed that though, sometimes it helps to just dive in." Oliver said. He turned off the shower and grabbed two thick, soft towels. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Viviana said. She toweled herself off and walked to the bedroom. She opened up the dresser and pulled out an icy silk deep violet dress. It was a Grecian style dress that fell a few inches above her knees; she paired it with black lace up sandals and pulled her hair back with two obsidian combs. Dimitri had given her the dress when they first started dating. It was one of his favorites. She slipped on the ring he gave her, and the necklace. She looked over at Oliver; he was wearing a pair of khaki pants, and a well tailored deep blue shirt. "You look handsome."

"And you look like a goddess." Oliver said as he tied his tie. He reached out and stroked her cheek. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Viviana said. She picked up the bouquet of flowers and slipped her hand into Oliver's hand. They walked through the courtyard and into a grove of lemons. There was a black obsidian obelisk that was erected in the center of the grove. Dimitri's name was carved in silver into the obelisk. His photo was in the center of the obelisk; she knelt down and set the flowers into the vase at the base. She waved her arm over the flowers so they would never wilt, and never die. She bit back a sob, and felt a few tears leak out and slide down her cheek.

"Come here." Oliver said he held her closely against his chest; he wiped away her tears and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, I feel better, I'm at peace." Viviana said. She held on tightly to Oliver. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah there's home work waiting for me." Oliver said.

"Yeah wouldn't want to piss off your teachers." Viviana said with a laugh. They walked back together hand in hand. She hadn't felt this calm and at peace in a long time, not since she was very little. Oliver gave her hope, perspective and passion. He really kept her going; he knew what to say, and when to say it. He was so different from Charlie; he seemed more down to earth, and honest. His eyes were mischievous, and they were lit with such determination and fire.

They quickly packed away their belongings and started their trip back to Hogwarts; they jumped into the fire and landed in her office. She saw a few memos' floating over her desk, Boomer was squawking at her, and she saw a few assignments that had piled up on her desk. She saw a red letter from the Ministry that was sparking slightly; she pulled it from the air and read it.

_**Ms. Valentine-**_

_**It's come to the attention of the Minister that you're still interested in working for us after your current position expires. He requests your presence at your earliest convenience; send us an owl with your expected arrival. **_

_**Sincerely Yours-**_

_**Cera Thorncross**_

_**Secretary to the Minister of Magic**_

Viviana grabbed a quill and a piece of paper and quickly wrote out her response, she said she'd meet on Tuesday in the afternoon. Oliver was stroking Boomers head and the falcon was bobbing her head back and forth.

"You know, she seems to really like you." Viviana said.

"I guess so, she's pretty smart." Oliver said. "I'm going to get going; I have a bunch of plays I need to review."

"Okay, I'll see you in class tomorrow." Viviana said as she walked over to Oliver.

"Did I mention how beautiful you are?" Oliver asked, he pulled her into his arms and leaned down to kiss her.

"I think you mention it quite a bit, but I'll never get sick of hearing you speak." Viviana said with a light laugh. "Okay handsome, go plan your victory."

"Okay gorgeous I'll see you tomorrow morning." Oliver said with another kiss.

"Have a good night, sweet dreams." Viviana said.

"Miss sleeping next to you, are you sure you don't want me to come by later?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, we can't sleep together while you're a student." Viviana said with finality.

"Alright well I'll be dreaming of you." Oliver said.

As Oliver left__Viviana sat down and read the rest of her memos. She had one from Gringotts that totaled her accounts and she frowned, there was so much money she wasn't sure what to do with it. She should make a will but she wasn't sure whom it would go to. She also grabbed the brochure that depicted what type of vacation she should send Molly and Arthur on. She was going to send them to Italy and Greece, she decided to send them to a cottage in Athens, and a villa she had in Venice. They would enjoy the time together and the time to themselves. She booked the vacation and started looking for places to visit in France. She figured Fleur would have a better idea of places to stay and sights to see. She decided to call it an early night and go to bed. She slipped into her bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

*-}-*

Viviana just got done getting ready to meet with the Minister when she heard a knock at her door.

"Come in!" Viviana yelled.

"Viv?"

"Yes?" Viviana asked as she walked downstairs she saw Harry standing in her kitchen. "Harry, what can I do to help you?" Viviana asked.

"Well I know you're busy going to the Ministry, but when you're back could I come talk to you?" Harry asked politely.

"Of course, is something bothering you?" Viviana asked.

"Yes and no. I can explain it later." Harry said.

"Okay I'll come find you when I get back to the castle." Viviana said as she lit a fire and leapt in. She entered the Ministry and headed towards the Ministers office. "I'm here to see the Minister."

"Hem, hem. I see." A toad like witch said with obvious disdain. "I see you didn't have time to dress properly, no matter we'll figure something out."

"I'm dressed only to please myself." Viviana said. She was wearing a tailored black silk dress with a dragon's hide red belt. She was wearing a very sexy pair of black stilettos and thigh high lace stockings.

"Surely I must have misheard you, you're actually going to wear that into your interview?" The toad said.

"Yes." Viviana said. "I'll let myself in."

Dolorous tried following her into the office and Viviana waved her arm and slammed the door in the toad's face.

"Minister." Viviana said with a smile. "How are you today?"

"Oh it could be better, Sirius Black on the loose, people worry." Fudge exclaimed. "Anyways so glad you could make it here; I wanted to offer you a position."

"Really, doing what?" Viviana asked.

"Well running our special division in the Auror department." Fudge said. "You have a very extensive background, most of which I am unable to actually view."

"I suppose I could take it into account. I am well qualified." Viviana said.

"Then you will join us?" Fudge asked.

"What are the details?" Viviana asked.

"You would train a select few to follow you, and work as a special division that ferrets out the corrupt and the possible Death Eaters that still remain." Fudge said.

"Will I be able to pick those I feel worthy?" Viviana asked.

"Yes, you can pick those you feel worthy, and you should find the pay quite substantial as well." Fudge said. "Sometimes you will have to work under different identities and leave all you know behind you."

"I can work undercover I've done that in the past, a name is only a name." Viviana said.

"So you pledge to serve me?" Fudge asked.

"I pledge to serve the people that I will swear to protect and those that need protecting." Viviana worded carefully.

"Very well, very well. When you finish at Hogwarts take part of the summer off and expect to meet some of the trainees when we leave this office." Fudge said.

"Alright will do. Shall we?" Viviana asked.

"There is a small test I would have you perform today." Fudge asked.

"Oh?" Viviana questioned she assumed he wanted to test her skills.

"I wish to test your skills against our best duelists. I have heard that you're very good with a wand." Fudge commented.

"When do I begin?" Viviana asked.

"Follow me; you're going to duel in one of our training rooms." Fudge said. "You might want to change your appearance. The department you will be working in, your identity will be your greatest weapon and greatest burden."

Viviana closed her eyes and concentrated; she changed into a very similar outfit she wore when she dueled Severus. She strapped different blades and other implements across her body and into various pockets. She changed her physical appearance to make her look more of an average height, with light brown hair, and crystal green eyes.

Viviana followed Fudge across the main atrium and up a level towards the Auror department. She followed him into a small alcove with an ancient looking door. He pulled out an ornate key and the door silent swung open. She saw a few different masked wizards standing around the room. They stood motionless, they would have looked intimidating if she hadn't been chased by Death Eaters half of her life. She smiled evenly at her opponents, she saw Fudge walk up a staircase to a viewing room above the central room.

"You may begin when you're ready." Fudge said.

They slowly began circling her, testing her comfort levels before they attacked. Most of the wizards were adept at using silent magic, and a few were able to use physical manifestations of their magic as well. She felt a sheet of ice fly at her and she felt a shard bite into her cheek. She threw her hands out and blew a thin line of fire from her mouth and created a circle of fire around her. She clapped her hands together and the fire expanded rapidly and threw her attackers against the wall. She drew a few of her throwing knives and charged them with electricity and flung them at two men standing across from her, the knives pined them to the walls and the fell limp as the electricity coursed through their bodies. She had set the charge just high enough that they would pass out from a short circuit. There were still three wizards remaining, and Viviana knew that they were more cautious than the men she apprehended. She saw a bright orange curse fly at her and mold itself into a whip and it tangled her legs up. She quickly banished the orange fire whip, but it cost her precious time she snap rolled her body and felt as another curse flew past her face. She drew her wand and began thinking of counter curses and curses that would incapacitate the rest of her attackers. She threw a jelly legs jinx at one attacker and watched him trip and fall over, she then threw one of her flash bang bombs at him and watched as he fell over knocked out cold. She felt the pressure of a spell being cast at her and she waved her arms and threw the last two wizards into a wall and held them there, she slowly crushed them until they passed out from lack of oxygen. She stood in the center of the room and waited for the Minister to join her.

"Bravo my dear, you didn't fail to impress." Fudge said merrily. "I think you'll fit in quite nicely."

"What department will I primarily be working with?" Viviana asked.

"You'll pick a few people to work with you, and you will report directly to Auror Shacklebolt, you would have reported to Alastor Moody but he sadly retired." Fudge commented.

"Wonderful. I'll see you in August." Viviana said before leaving the room, she went back towards the Auror department to track down Kingsley Shacklebolt. She had heard a few good things about him, and his skills. When she arrived at the office she looked around and saw that more than a few people gave her odd looks. She found his office and knocked.

"Come in." A deeply soothing voice called from the other side of the door.

"Auror Shacklebolt?" Viviana asked.

"Yes?" Kingsley asked.

"Is this room secure?" Viviana asked.

"Yes, if you would close the door." Kingsley said, his eyes widened as she changed her appearance in front of him.

"I apologize for the confusion, I'm Viviana Valentine and I hear that we'll be working closely together this summer and next year." Viviana said as she shook his hand.

"I have read your file, or as much as was disclosed." Kingsley said with a smile. "When you do visit the Ministry, you might want to change your appearance like you did today, even give yourself a different name."

"I figured as much." Viviana said. "Is there a name you want me to use or should I create my own identities?"

"Please sit down; you don't really have to be so formal. I'm sure the Minister tried making it as formal as tea with the Queen but I am a much more informal person than he is." Kingsley said. "You may create your own identity to show up, and you'll always have a hand in your cover stories."

"Awesome." Viviana said lightly. "So, what does Fudge really want with my skills?"

"He wants someone that won't hesitate with his commands. Your dossier described you as ruthless, cunning, and fast paced. I think he wants to try and use you as the boogeyman of our department." Kingsley commented, he frowned lightly when he saw her face contort. "I see that's not what you want to be."

"No, I don't want to be labeled as some black listed psychopath. I am all of the things my dossier described but I'm not a person you want to hire for simple wet work. Anyone can kill; I'm not looking to get back into that line of work." Viviana said confidently.

"I'll mention that too him, I'll try and reform what ideas he has about your situation." Kingsley said. "I've pulled a few Auror's files you might want to look at. They're the top of their class, and a few of them have some considerable skills."

Viviana reached for the files and carefully looked over them. She recognized a few names and threw them into a discard pile, they had either had ties to the Death Eaters, or were unscrupulous individuals that had no place on her team. She had a decent stack of applications for her team, and pulled the top four out of the stack.

"I'll take these four. I want to see them in action and I want to know what you personally think of them." Viviana said.

"You've made good choices, but I would suggest that you try and work with this person as well. She's very competent, and has a very useful set of skills." Kingsley said.

"She was also working with you the longest." Viviana said.

"True." Kingsley said with a smile. "She would work better than Brii."

"Well I guess I have my trainees." Viviana said with a full smile. "I won't see them until August, until then I'm sure we'll see each other soon."

"How will I know it's you?" Kingsley asked.

"I'll go by the name Moria Seraphima." Viviana said, she slowly grew taller, her eyes changed to an unsettlingly bright sapphire blue hue, and her hair turned the bright inky black, and fell in a straight sheet to her shoulders. The combination was incredibly striking but not too out of the ordinary. Her skin became a pearl white, and she looked like a living alabaster statue.

"Beautiful. You're reputation precedes you, are you a metamorph?" Kingsley asked.

"No, I'm just incredibly talented at transfiguration." Viviana said. Her voice became slightly higher, and more bell like, she laughed and it sounded like a wind chime.

"You can even change your voice, how lucky we are to have you." Kingsley said.

"I'll see you later; it was a pleasure meeting you." Viviana said as she transfigured back into her normal appearance.

"The pleasure was mine; you're free to use the fireplace if you wish." Kingsley said.

"It's much easier than traipsing through the entire Ministry." Viviana said with a final wave as she dove through the fireplace. As she left her room she went in search of the Gryffindor common room. Her high heals clicked sharply on the stone and she arrived at their common room an hour after they had their dinner. The portrait of the mad knight was gone, and the Fat Lady returned. "Good evening, is Harry Potter in the common room this evening?"

"I do believe he is." The Fat Lady said as her portrait swung open.

Viviana slowly stepped into the room and she saw a few students openly stare at her. She rarely wore traditional robes; she preferred her own clothes too much. Oliver was smiling at her lightly, and she smiled back.

"Oi! Viviana, good to see you." Fred said.

"Hello Fred, have you seen Harry?" Viviana asked.

"I'm George." Fred said.

"You are not, hush." Viviana said with a light laugh.

"Damn woman you're good. Harry's upstairs shall I go fetch him?" George asked.

"Yes go find him for me please." Viviana said as she sat down near the window. "How are your plays coming Oliver?"

"Fine." Oliver said. "I'm heading to my office; I'm stuck on a few moves I'd like to incorporate."

"Let me know if you need help." Viviana said casually.

"Will do, see you later Viv." Oliver said with a smile.

"Viviana?" Harry asked.

"Yes Harry, how can I help you?" Viviana asked lightly.

"Professor Lupin is out this week could I possibly get some help from you again?" Harry asked.

"Sure, I'm free later tonight, say in an hour, would that work for you?" Viviana asked.

"That'd be fine; could Ron and Hermione come too?" Harry asked.

"That's great; you know where my office is." Viviana said before walking out of the common room, she wanted to write a few letters, she never responded to Bill's letter and she knew it was rude. When she got back to her bedroom she saw a letter sitting on her bed she knew it was from Charlie.

_**Viviana-**_

_**I know I don't deserve your forgiveness but I wanted to apologize. I realize I not only said a few things that were uncalled for, I also treated you terribly. I'd like to meet sometime and apologize in person, I'm sorry. Honestly. There hasn't been a single day where I haven't regretted what I did to you.**_

_**Sincerely-**_

_**Charlie**_

Viviana sat on her bed; she wanted to fly to him and beat him senseless. How could he think that some letter was going to make up for his absolute betrayal? She lit a fire and flooed over to Bill and Fleur's home.

"Bill, Fleur?" Viviana called.

"Viviana! Bon Soir!" Fleur said as she wrapped her arms around Viviana. "C'est va bien?"

"Je ne sais pas. Sorry Fleur, will you read this?" Viviana said as she handed Fleur the letter.

"Merde!" Fleur exclaimed as she read Charlie's quick note. "Bill will 'ave to talk to 'im. This is ridiculous, 'ow does 'e think a simple 'etter could justify 'is stupidity?"

"I don't know, I was so mad I thought I was going to destroy my room." Viviana said she wasn't angry any more; she was confused and tired of thinking about Charlie. It felt like months had gone by, and in some ways that was true. Charlie was a memory to her; she suppressed the pain and had moved on.

"Wait until Bill is 'ome. Charlie will not know what to do!" Fleur said triumphantly.

"I don't even care what Bill does, I want to know why he sent me that damned letter. He won't get a reply; I'm through with him. He's so hot and cold. It was like this even when we began seeing each other." Viviana said. She heard someone outside of their home and she drew her wand slowly. When Bill entered she lowered her wand. "Hello Bill. I'm sorry I didn't write sooner."

"You're looking fetching." Bill said with a smile. He walked smoothly over to Fleur and kissed her lightly on the lips. "What's wrong?"

"Your idiot brother wrote her a letter begging for forgiveness." Fleur said.

"Really? That took guts. He came to see me today as well." Bill said.

"What does he want?" Viviana asked.

"You. Charlie and Kate as so volatile as a couple, I guess they had a fight and now he wants to make up with you. He was moaning and whining that he royally screwed up with you." Bill said.

"Not my problem." Viviana said as she gestured with her pointer and thumb, she compressed them together before she said, "This is a thousand 'like I give a fucks' compressed into one."

Fleur and Bill laughed at her expression and her gesture.

"So you won't talk to him?" Bill asked.

"Why should she? He was in the wrong, and she has moved on." Fleur argued passionately.

"Fleur, the only reason I ask is so I can tell him where to shove it. He really was stupid for screwing things up so thoroughly." Bill said.

"Well thanks for being the messenger Bill. I refuse to meet him, see him or write him." Viviana said. "Oh we are still taking our vacation aren't we?"

"Of course, one bad apple will not run the bunch." Bill said with an easy smile.

"I promise to visit soon; I have to help Harry with something." Viviana said with an easy smile. "Thank you both, I appreciate your friendship."

"De rien." Fleur said with a smile.

Viviana landed back in her bedroom and went down to the kitchen. She sliced a few apples up and started to nibble on them. She heard a knock at her door and she opened it with a wave of her hand. Instead of Harry she saw Remus standing in her doorway.

"Hi." Viviana said between a bite of apple.

"Hi, heard you were going to be helping Harry." Remus said.

"Sit down, you look very tired." Viviana said. "I wondered if I'd ever see you again, thought that you were avoiding me."

"I wasn't avoiding you, I was very busy." Remus said with a faint blush on his cheeks.

"I'm kidding, sort of. So how have you been?" Viviana asked.

"Still furry once a month." Remus said with a shudder. "I heard that you and Charlie are really over."

"Yep, word does travel fast." Viviana said sharply.

"The reason I'm here is because I think Harry is going to ask you to start training him more over the summer, I hope you help him as much as you can." Remus said.

"He's going to need the help." Viviana said. "I will help him as much as I can. I'll be working for the Auror department this summer and into the fall. I expect that they'll want me to hunt down whatever shadows they've failed to catch before I arrived."

"Sounds dangerous." Remus said. "Sounds like something you'll enjoy."

"What's life without a little risk?" Viviana said with a laugh.

"I think you would've given my friends and I a run for our money, had you been born earlier." Remus said.

"Probably. I did have a hard time following rules I didn't like. I don't think Fudge will know what to do with me." Viviana said. "Harry's meeting me soon, could we continue this at a later time?"

"Sure, I wanted to give you this; it might help you later on." Remus said.

"Thanks, what is it?" Viviana asked as she held the simple, flat metal disc in her hand.

"When the face changes you'll understand." Remus said before he stood up and walked out silently.

Viviana held the token in her hand and saw that it held her reflection on one side and an inscription on the other.

_**When you can no longer recognize the face in the mirror, perhaps it's time you stepped back and find out where you lost who you once knew.**_

Viviana smiled at Remus' thoughtful gesture. It would be a good token to keep with her; she slipped it into a hidden slot in Dimitri's necklace. A good reminder to never forget who she really was. Another knock came at the door, and she once again let her door swing open. This time it was Harry, Ron and Hermione, they all shuffled in and sat down at the kitchen table.

"So?" Viviana asked.

"We need your help." Hermione said.

"Clearly, with what?" Viviana said with a short laugh.

"Well, we're worried that we don't have enough training." Harry said.

"You will. I promise, I'll be working with you three the most this summer. You need to be prepared." Viviana said. "Is there something else you needed to ask?"

"No not exactly." Harry said. "I sort of, keep seeing the grim."

"Harry, are you sure it's not just an incredibly large dog?" Viviana asked.

"Well no, I mean it could be." Harry said.

"I told you so." Hermione said.

"Ron any thoughts?" Viviana asked.

"No." Ron said sullenly.

"Did I miss something?" Viviana asked.

"Ron thinks Hermione's cat ate his rat." Harry said.

"Bloody hell Harry, there was blood and fur on my pillows!" Ron said loudly.

"Ron, did you ever think that maybe your rat injured himself?" Viviana asked.

"Exactly!" Hermione said shrilly.

"Why don't you calm down, Ron, I'm sure your rat will turn up." Viviana said. "I think we all need to go to bed, it's getting late and you all have an early morning with me."

"Okay, see you later Viviana." Harry said, he slowly pulled Hermione and Ron out of her quarters and shut the door.

Viviana climbed her staircase until she reached her soft bed. She flopped down onto it and summoned the potions she should have been taking. She sighed as she swallowed them and curled up in bed. She thought about Charlie's letter, _why did he want to speak to her now? Did he really think that he had an actual chance with her again? She remembered how comforting Oliver's arms felt when he had taken care of her. _In that instant she felt so young. She was only 19, and she had experienced things that most people a decade older than her hadn't faced. She grimaced as she thought about the future, she knew that she would be thrown into impossible situations where she wouldn't be able to really survive, the outcomes were grim but the hopes she had sustained her.

~-}-~

Weeks had flown by and the students at Hogwarts were busily preparing for their end of the year exams. Viviana's class had two exams, one was physically based on endurance the other was a written exam that would test their knowledge, and their ability to solve complex riddles. She knew that most of the students would excel greatly, she had been pushing them incredibly hard and they were doing well. She had finished writing the written exam and she decided to go for a quick run to clear her mind. She threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top before getting out of her room and down towards the lake. She started with an easy pace and slowly worked her way up to a brisk run. She ended up at the Quidditch pitch before she knew it and saw Oliver running laps as well.

"Oliver!" Viviana called.

"Hey, working out some frustrations as well?" Oliver asked. He appeared slightly out of breath and by the color in his cheeks and the faint sheen of sweat on his brow; he appeared to have been running longer than she had.

"Yeah, I'm stressed about your exams." Viviana said, she took the time to stretch her muscles.

"You're stressed? You're not even taking them." Oliver stated.

"I still have to prepare you for them, and write them." Viviana said.

"True, would you like to run with me?" Oliver asked.

"If you think you can keep up with me." Viviana taunted playfully.

"I can keep up, I'm built for endurance." Oliver replied.

"Let's see how truthful that statement is." Viviana said.

They ran for another hour in circles around the Quidditch pitch before the walked a few laps as a cool down. They were both covered in sweat and looked tired.

"There's a private shower in my office, would you care to join me?" Oliver asked.

"I would, but I have a bathtub and I plan on relaxing there." Viviana said.

"Well then, I want to join you, a bath does sound quite relaxing." Oliver added cheekily.

"I'll head up, you can meet me there." Viviana said, Oliver nodded and they headed off in separate directions. Viviana went to her room and started the bathtub, she filled it with orange scented bath salts and she tossed her dirty clothes in the hamper. Boomer looked at her from the edge of the tub, and squawked. "Yes?"

"Squawk." Boomer said.

"Oliver will be here later, I swear you're more attached to him than you are me." Viviana said as she rubbed the falcon's head. "Go on; relax somewhere else I need to curl up while the waters warm."

"There's my gorgeous woman." Oliver said as he walked over to her. He picked her up in his arms and kissed her. He set her into the tub and expanded it to give them both enough room. "It smells like oranges."

"Bath salts, they help heal your muscles and relieve minor aches." Viviana said as she leaned against Oliver's chest.

"Your design?" Oliver asked.

"Yep, made them when I was training with Dimitri. I've never been worked so hard compared to what he put me through." Viviana said with a laugh.

"You should market these, they smell great, and if they do what you say they will they could make you a small fortune." Oliver said.

"I don't want any money, I've got plenty." Viviana stated. She stroked Oliver's legs and closed her eyes. She started to drift off slightly before she curled up in his arms and fell deep asleep.

Oliver looked down at her slumbering body and kissed her temple. She looked younger when she was sleeping; the weariness was gone, as was the worry. He knew that she wasn't much older than him but there were things that he saw in her eyes and the way she spoke that made her seem much older and mature than he was. He worried that she would leave their pseudo relationship because she had more experience than he did. He worked shampoo into her hair and slowly washed it out, he didn't want to wake her up, but he enjoyed rubbing soap across her body. When they were both clean he drained the tub, rinsed them off and used his wand to dry their bodies off. He carried her into the bedroom and slipped her into bed, he put on a pair of boxers before climbing into bed. He set an alarm on his watch to wake him up before curfew was over, he didn't want to risk her job because he would rather spend time with her.

When Oliver's alarm went off he turned it off and slowly slipped out of bed. He covered her up and put on his clothes. He wrote a quick note, and transfigured a feather of Boomer's into a dark red rose. He set her alarm clock and slipped out of her bedroom. On the way to his common room he ran into Fred and George.

"Oi, Oliver!" Fred said.

"Where were you coming from?" George asked.

"My office." Oliver said, he hoped they would buy that. "Fell asleep after running, so where are you two coming from?"

"Hogsmeade. Had to restock a few things, didn't see you walking from the pitch." George said curiously.

"Must not have been looking very hard." Oliver joked.

"Probably not. Anyways, how are things going with you and Viv?" Fred asked cautiously.

"Fine. Why?" Oliver asked he started to get nervous; any rumors of them being together would hurt them both.

"Just wondered, after all you haven't even paid attention to the girls in your year that are practically begging for a scrap of your attention. That and you were gone a few weeks ago and so was she. Romantic getaway?" George asked.

"Not exactly. She had to confront Charlie." Oliver said.

"Oh, yeah we heard about our brother, or the world's greatest prat. Is she okay?" Fred asked.

"Better than before, she handled the situation very well." Oliver said.

"Good, we still," George said.

"Haven't forgiven him." Fred finished.

"I don't think she'd want you two to hate Charlie, I lost any respect that I had for him." Oliver said.

"Letting her go the way he did was the stupidest thing he could have done. How thick is he? To think we share the same mother and father." Fred continued.

"Just don't screw it up Oliver. She's really terrific and she deserves to be happy." George said.

"I won't. I'm being patient I won't push her into a relationship." Oliver said.

"Well technically you can't until you're out of school anyways. Awful lucky you are, she's banging." Fred said merrily. "Wouldn't kick her out of my bed."

"Nor would I." George said dreamily.

"Shut it you two, that's my lass you're thinking about." Oliver said jokingly.

"So, is she a hell cat?" Fred asked lightly. He saw Oliver flush across his neck. "Well that answers it, knew she would be."

"Okay well night boys, off to bed." Oliver said.

"You're evading the question mate! She must wear you out!" George called up the stairs.

Oliver escaped to his room before he stripped off his clothes and curled up in bed. He was thinking about his exams, his pseudo relationship with Viviana and the final match. Worries swirled in his head before he finally fell into a deep sleep. He dreamed that he was in bed with her, holding her tightly in his arms. She was his everything.

~-}-~

_Viviana woke up with the sun shining on her face; she looked around and saw a beautiful bedroom. She saw a wedding photo of Oliver and her, she was smiling and he was staring at her like she was the sun itself. She looked down and saw a ring on her finger; it wasn't the ring that Dimitri had given her it was a solitaire diamond that looked like it was easily as big as her thumbnail. What was with the men in her life giving her ridiculously sized wedding rings? Around the diamond itself was a beautiful band of platinum wrought with blood red rubies. She heard a laughing child and she stood from her bed and put on an old jersey of Oliver's._

"_Daddy when is Mommy going to wake up?" The child asked._

"_When she's ready, she was very tired from her fight with the dark wizards." Oliver said patiently._

"_But we were going to go on a picnic." The child whined._

"_We will, just be patient." Oliver said. "Let's start making breakfast okay?"_

"_Pancakes!" The child cried._

"_Alright only if you promise to eat some fruit first." Oliver said._

_Viviana slowly walked down the stairs of the house, she saw pictures lining the staircase, and many were of her and Oliver and their child. They all looked like they loved each other, the child was beautiful. He had Viviana's jet-black hair and Oliver's warm brown eyes, he also had Oliver's crooked grin and sparkle in his eyes. She stopped and stared at a photo of Oliver holding a World Champion Cup, he was being hoisted up by his teammates and he looked obviously happy, the next picture was of him kneeling before her with a ring in his hand. She smiled at and touched the edges of the photos; she heard a ruckus coming out of what she assumed was the kitchen. She walked down the hallway and saw Oliver and their son stirring a batch of pancakes up._

"_Good morning sleepy head." Oliver said as he leaned over and kissed her. _

"_Hi Mommy! We can go to the park for a picnic now!" Her son exclaimed. _

"_After we make pancakes and after you eat your fruit." Oliver corrected._

"_Yes Daddy. I know." The boy exclaimed as he ran over and jumped into Viviana's arms. "I love you Mommy, I have missed you. You have been so busy with catching the bad men."_

"_I know I'm sorry sweetie." Viviana said. "I promise that this week I won't be at work, we're going on our vacation aren't we?"_

"_Yes, if this little monster eats his breakfast." Oliver said, he was heating up a pan to cook the pancakes. _

"_I am no monster! I am a boy! My name is William Jaymes Wood." Will said as he stood on a chair._

"_I'm only pulling your leg." Oliver said as he picked him up and tossed him into the air and caught him._

_Viviana looked outside and saw a beautiful backyard with a nice garden. She walked outside and could smell different herbs and citrus. She saw a lemon tree and an orange tree next to an herb garden. She turned around and saw Anne sitting under a tree reading._

"_Anne, did you move here recently?" Viviana asked._

"_Viviana, think about this. How have you been?" Anne asked._

"_I'm doing well; I guess this is another dream." Viviana said._

"_Correct again, you seem to believe in this future more. How's Oliver?" Anne asked._

"_Wonderful. Perfect." Viviana said despondently._

"_I did tell you that you would be happier with him." Anne said._

"_Yes you did, does this mean I have to leave them?" Viviana asked._

"_Yes, it's time to go." Anne said. "Don't worry you'll see him when you wake up."_

"_Anne, why do you keep appearing in my dreams?" Viviana asked._

"_Ask yourself, I'm a figment of your conscious." Anne said with a gentle understanding smile._

Viviana woke up and smiled at the sun on her face. She listened for her son, and then she realized that she was back in her place at Hogwarts. She frowned lightly because she knew how happy she had felt in that dream. She smiled slightly at the thought that, that would be her future later on. She walked to her bathroom and quickly showered. She dressed for the day knowing that the students were going to be working on their exams this week. She pulled on a black silk mock kimono, she added a pair of thigh high boots and pulled her hair up into a French twist and went to leave her quarters. As she went to open the door from her quarters to her classroom and ran strait into Adrian.

"Adrian, is everything okay?" Viviana asked, she noticed that Adrian looked like a mix between worry and happiness.

"I really need to talk to you, it's really important." Adrian said with a nervous smile.

"Alright, come into the kitchen, and we can talk." Viviana said.

"I wanted to know what you thought about this." Adrian said as he handed Viviana a small box.

When Viviana opened it and saw a simple pale gold band entwined with platinum and diamonds. There were pale pink rubies and sea green emeralds woven between the two different colored bands. On the very top of the ring a brilliant pink diamond crowned it.

"Adrian this is beautiful, I think she'll love it. How are you plans going?" Viviana asked.

"I hope she does, she is everything to me. The plans are going well, I have permission to leave on the weekends, and Nora's parents gave her permission to move in so she's safe and we're both happy. I wanted to propose to her after this year. She's brilliant, and beautiful in everything she does." Adrian said.

"How are you going to propose?" Viviana asked.

"I'm taking her to Switzerland after I take my exams, and I'll propose when we're at a mountain top restaurant." Adrian said excitedly.

"Did you tell her you're a wizard?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah, it went well, she said that she wasn't surprised. She always knew there was something special about me." Adrian said. "I really lucked out we wanted to thank you for all of help."

"You're welcome; I'll always be around to help you." Viviana said. "On that note, are you ready for your exam?"

"I think so." Adrian said shyly.

"Well we better head towards the classroom." Viviana said. When they arrived she saw most of the students sitting at the desks she had set up. They all looked slightly nervous for their written exam. "Alright I see you've all sat down at your seats, I have anti-cheating quills ready for all of you. If you paid attention in my class and did the homework you should be able to ace it. Good luck, all of you."

An hour went by and she saw most of the students were still working on the exam still, Hermione looked slightly green as she finished another page of the exam. Oliver looked very calm as he wrote his answers down, as did Harry. Viviana sat back and waited for the students to finish their exams. As soon as time was up she stood up and smiled.

"Congratulations, you're done with my class. I've enjoyed having all of you as my students." Viviana said.

"Won't you be teaching next year?" Fred asked.

"No I'll be working for the Ministry. I'll be in the Auror department." Viviana said.

"Damn, you were a great teacher." Harry said with a smile.

"Alright well good luck on your other exams, you still have my practical later this week, but I'm sure you'll do fine. If you have any questions please feel free to come visit me I'll be here." Viviana said.

The students started walking to their common rooms to either relax or revise. Oliver stuck behind and smiled at her. He walked over to her after all the students left and pulled her tightly into his arms. He leaned down and inhaled gently; he kissed her forehead and held her in his arms.

"Don't you have exams to study for?" Viviana said with a laugh.

"Not today, and I'm ready for the rest of the ones I have." Oliver said.

"Oh, well want to have dinner with me?" Viviana asked as she walked with him to her room.

"Sure, what are you making me?" Oliver asked.

"I think I'll make you one of my favorite dishes." Viviana said.

"And what is it?" Oliver asked as he tossed off his robe, and tie. He pulled off his shoes and belt and laid them over a chair. He walked over to her and picked her up and tossed her into his arms. "I've missed you by the way."

"Missed you too, it hasn't been the same without me seeing you all the time." Viviana said as she kissed him passionately on the lips. "As for what I'm making you, it's kind of a secret. Go relax and I'll run to the kitchens to get the ingredients I need."

"I'll shower and I'll be waiting for you." Oliver said with a final kiss.

"Okay, go relax, and I'll see you soon." Viviana said. She grabbed a backpack and went towards the kitchen. "Hello!"

"Miss Viviana!" A little house elf said. "What is Miss needing?"

"I need garlic, 8 steak medallions, tomatoes, an onion, basil, and some spaghetti." Viviana said.

"Here you are Miss." The house elf said.

"Thank you so much." Viviana said as she left the kitchens. When she got back to her room she diced up the garlic, onions, and tomatoes. She added a tablespoon of butter to the pan and slowly started simmering the garlic and onions. She added ½ a cup of an oak wine to it along with some deep red cherries, and currants. The wine would really bring out the flavor of the garlic and onions and complement the cherries and currants. After the sauce was started she added the tomatoes to make a sauce and started another pan to grill the steaks. She seared the steaks before adding them to the sauce; she plated the pasta and put the sauce and steaks over it. She shredded the basil and sprinkled it on top along with some grated parmesan. She then walked upstairs and saw Oliver curled up in her bed dressed only in his boxers. She ran her fingers slowly down his side and slide into bed next to him. "Oliver, it's time for dinner."

"Viv, just stay here, dinner later." Oliver mumbled.

"Come on honey, I made dinner." Viviana said. "It's warm and ready."

"Babe, I'm awake, give me a moment." Oliver said as he curled his body around hers.

"Alright, I'll meet you downstairs, hurry up or it'll be cold by the time you get your ass down there." Viviana said.

"My well formed ass will be down there, let me adjust myself and I'll be down." Oliver said, he heard her walk downstairs and he groaned. Oliver sat up and climbed out of bed before he padded towards the bathroom to wash his face. He splashed some cold water on his face and slipped on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. As soon as he walked down the stairs he could smell something fragrantly delicious. "Something smells great."

"I really hope you like it." Viviana said as she poured them a glass of wine. "Congratulations to finishing your last year of Hogwarts, and towards your amazing journey towards adulthood."

"Thank you love." Oliver said as they both sat quietly and dug into their dinners. Occasionally Oliver would look up and see Viviana smiling at him; he loved the way her eyes sparkled. They were inviting and intriguing. "You're a terrific chef, I'd marry you for the amazing food you're amazing food."

"You're too much, glad you like my cooking." Viviana said.

"I have my potions final tomorrow." Oliver said.

"Worried?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah. I think I'm prepared, but honestly who knows what they'll have on it." Oliver said.

"I promise that you'll be fine, don't worry so much." Viviana said.

"Soon enough I'll be able to court you in public." Oliver said with a huge grin plastered to his face."

"That is true." Viviana said as she slipped the dishes into the sink.

"I can't help it I was raised old fashioned." Oliver said as he held her in his arms.

"I wouldn't have guessed, you can dance, you're a gentleman, and you're brilliant." Viviana said.

"Some days I feel like we're exactly the same age and other times when I look into your eyes I realize that you've been through so much more than I ever will. You're like a diamond, every side is different you have a million facets to your personality. I wonder if I'll ever really know who you really are." Oliver said pensively. He saw her eyes dim and a frown overtook her features.

"Oliver I've never hidden who I was. I don't necessarily want to go over what's wrong with my life, or what wrong I've done." Viviana said.

"Will you tell me what you've done, what you've seen?" Oliver asked.

"Is that what you want? To hear and understand the evil I've done?" Viviana said angrily.

"I want to know what your life was like, the good and the bad." Oliver said as he followed her into her bedroom.

"Where do you want me to start?" Viviana asked patiently.

"At the beginning of what changed your life." Oliver said.

"Alright, well here we go." Viviana said.

"_Damnit Viviana, will you just agree with your mother and accept Adam's proposal!" Viviana's father said._

"_I'm not accepting his fucking proposal!" Viviana said before storming out of the house. _

"_Viv!" Andrew said._

"_Andy I'm not in the mood I have somewhere to be anyways." Viviana said._

"_I know you have an appointment, but we'll have dinner right?" Andrew said._

"_Yeah I'll see you at the apartment. Love you." Viviana said._

"_Love you too." Viviana said. She appeared in the heart of Chicago and inhaled, she could smell the fresh water air, she felt the breeze from the pier, and she could feel the hum of the city. She walked towards Clark Ave. and saw her favorite muggle clothing store. She walked in and waved at Eliza. "El! Did those skirts come in yet?"_

"_Depends, did you bring me back what I wanted?" Eliza asked._

"_Yep, here you are." Viviana said as she pulled out a silk bag._

"_Dudette, whatever your connections are I envy them." Eliza said as she admired the skull and cross bones design on the leather bag._

"_Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm glad you like it, I had to beg her to make you one." Viviana said._

"_I don't know how you got her to make on but it rocks. Oh here are the skirts I put aside for you." Eliza said. _

"_Thanks, they look amazing!" Viviana said._

"_Honestly you only wear them because they make your ass look perfect, and they piss your parents off." Eliza said._

"_Yeah that's true. I gotta jet, I'm meeting Andy for dinner." Viviana said._

"_House?" Eliza asked._

"_Nope, had that a few days ago." Viviana said._

"_Spoiled. Oh did you still have that spot open in your apartment?" Eliza asked._

"_For you sure." Viviana said._

"_So how much did you want?" Eliza asked._

"_Well I guess, just help out around the place, we really don't have to worry about rent." Viviana said._

"_Decent." Eliza said. "This works well, I'll drop by tomorrow okay?"_

Viviana yawned and looked over at Oliver, he was enthralled with the story so far, she went on to explain what happened that two nights later when she got back to her apartment.

"Are you sure you want me to continue?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah, what did you do after you left school?" Oliver asked. He had concern and sadness showcased in his eyes. He didn't realize that she had been targeted by the Death Eaters or He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. She had lost so much in such a short amount of time that he didn't know how she came out of it as strong and put together as she had.

"A few months into my schooling I met Dimitri. He asked if I would be interested in a very special set of training skills needed to help work against dark wizards. I trained nonstop with him when I wasn't in school; Eliza and I were very close friends and we lived together throughout most of my training. She isn't a muggle, she's a witch, I've lost contact with her and I've been meaning to talk to her." Viviana said. "Anyways, after a year of training in Chicago I graduated from the Academy and Dimitri moved me to different undisclosed locations across the world. I learned languages, customs, fighting styles, and a million other things. He wanted me to be able to blend in anywhere without really being seen. I was a ghost. We hunted Dark Wizards and Witches across the world, before settling down in Italy."

"How long were you there before he died?" Oliver asked.

"We were there about six months I guess, we were happy together, and we let our guard down. It bit us in the ass, but we did cherish our time together, I wish you could have met him." Viviana said. "You two would have gotten along, he was very passionate about Quidditch."

"Well he must have been wonderful if he was interested in Quidditch." Oliver said. "After he died you worked for different banks correct?"

"Yeah I spent time working in Chicago and Italy, they hired me as a curse maker and breaker." Viviana said. "Sometimes I miss those types of jobs because they give me a reason to keep my sanity. They were very rewarding jobs and very mentally stimulating."

"After the war will you want to go back to that branch of work?" Oliver asked.

"Maybe, I really haven't given it a whole lot of thought." Viviana said. "Alright you really should go to bed Oliver, you do have a final tomorrow."

"Yeah I'm going to get going, I will see you tomorrow." Oliver said before he kissed her cheek and left her quarters.


	14. Tombstones and Promises

**Chapter 14: Tombstones and Promises**

Viviana curled up in a ball and thought about all that could happen this summer. She needed to find Eliza, talk to Nikolai again, and keep Harry safe. _So many possibilities, maybe I'll be able to figure everything out, if only that was a possibility._ Viviana thought she heard a howling outside of the castle, she looked outside and saw a full moon. _Remus knows that he can't be outside, it's too dangerous! _She threw on a pair of jeans and grabbed a t-shirt before she grabbed a pair of her running shoes and threw them on as well. She sprinted through the castle until she almost ran head long into Dumbledore.

"Sir! I think that there's something loose in the forest." Viviana said.

"I assure you that every precaution has been taken." Dumbledore said.

"Sir I don't think you understand, it's a full moon." Viviana said.

"Ms. Valentine, truly, I think we both know that his medicine will counteract his change." Dumbledore said with finality.

"He's out there! I heard him!" Viviana exclaimed.

"I urge you to go back to your quarters." Dumbledore said.

Viviana sprinted out the front doors and leapt over the fence; she ran towards the Whomping Willow and saw nothing out of the ordinary. When she looked up she saw a huge black dog limping towards her. She drew her wand and the dog growled lightly. She saw the dog crouch as if he was going to pounce on her and she ducked as he did, she saw Lupin diving over her just missing her by inches. The dog bit into the werewolf and Viviana pointed her wand at him.

"Stupefy!" Viviana yelled. Lupin fell over and appeared contained. "Come here puppy are you okay? I guess I owe you one."

The large black dog was whimpering softly and appeared quite injured she levitated him along with Lupin towards the castle. She was surprised when she saw Ron, Hermione, and Harry running towards them.

"Harry, what are you three doing outside right now?" Viviana asked.

"Professor we really need to talk to you inside the castle. Please." Harry said.

"Okay. Let's go through a side entrance, might be more private this way." Viviana said.

"Thanks." Harry said as he fell instep next to her.

As they arrived inside her classroom she put a containment field around the stunned werewolf. She looked down at the dog and saw that he was holding his front paw close to his body she kneeled down and touched the paw and the dog growled.

"Feisty little beast." Viviana said. "Harry what did you want to talk about?"

"The dog, he's well, he's not really a dog." Harry said.

"Animagus?" Viviana asked. "Who is he really?"

"That's the thing, keep an open mind." Harry said. He saw Hermione and Ron sitting down next to the large dog.

"Okay, I'm ready who am I dealing with?" Viviana asked, she held her wand in her hand at the ready.

"The dog is actually Sirius Black." Harry said calmly, he saw Viviana's eyes light up in alarm.

"Really?" Viviana said. "How? Why? Harry you should explain this. Sirius if you really are an Animagus you should revel yourself."

"I apologize Viviana; he isn't the mass murderer that everyone thought he was." Harry said as he watched his godfather change into his human form.

"Ms. Valentine. We've met actually." Sirius said.

"Yeah, I know I was in charge of finding you should you escape, unfortunately I didn't want to kill you at the time when you did escape." Viviana said.

"I should thank you for that." Sirius said with a grin.

"Alright everyone up to my quarters, we need to get you all fixed up it looks like you all went a few rounds with a heavy weight boxer and lost badly." Viviana said. She slipped her arm around Sirius' thin waist as she helped him up the stairs.

"Alright well where do you want me to begin?" Sirius asked.

"I want you to shower; I'll get you some clothes and make dinner. The rest of you need to sit down and let me know where you're hurt." Viviana said. She cast a few simple spells in the kitchen and started dinner before sitting across from Harry, Hermione and Ron.

"You're not going to turn him are you?" Hermione asked.

"Has he hurt any of you? Ron your leg looks infected." Viviana asked.

"Not really, he accidently bit my leg trying to get my rat." Ron said.

"Alright well why don't you all explain your story and I'll see what I can do for you, and what story we'll have to come up with for the general public." Viviana said. She patiently listened to their story about how Sirius was framed from the beginning and how Peter escaped. She sat in silence carefully gauging their reactions to the story, and she eventually agreed that they were telling the truth on their part. She knew she had to interrogate Sirius before she could actually pass judgment over the situation. "I see, I'm going to check on Sirius, you lot need to stay here. Help yourself to the food, I'll bring him a plate and converse with him."

Viviana grabbed Sirius a plate of spaghetti with meatballs, and a glass of fire whiskey before she walked up the stairs to her bedroom. She made sure to levitate the food in front of her in case he tried to catch her off guard. When she opened her bedroom door she saw that he was patiently sitting on the end of her bed in a towel. He had cut his hair and shaved his beard and he resembled a human once again. His arm looked broken and she set the food down next to him.

"How badly injured are you?" Viviana asked.

"My arms broken, a little broken elsewhere but I'll heal." Sirius said.

"Here are some clothes, feel free to change." Viviana said.

"So untrusting, won't you turn around?" Sirius asked flirtatiously.

"You may turn around but I don't trust you enough. I hunted people like you for a living, I have no problem disarming you and killing you if you present a way to harm them." Viviana said coldly.

"I heard about you. You're the bogey man for those that walk in darkness." Sirius said as he changed in front of her. He tried to gauge her expression but she stood as calm and calculated as a piece of marble.

"Do you want me to heal you first or would you like to eat?" Viviana asked.

"Please heal me and then I'll eat and tell you my story." Sirius said.

Viviana walked towards his and slowly ran her fingers across his body as she checked for wounds and injuries. She reset his arm and cast a protective cast around it. She found a few other abrasions along with basic problems with his health. She healed him as best as she could before she sat across from him.

"You may continue." Viviana said patiently.

"You really care about them don't you?" Sirius asked as he took a sip of the whiskey. "Thank you."

"I do, I promise you this Sirius if you are here to harm them or anyone in my care I will make your sentence at Azkaban look like a stint at a day spa." Viviana said with a cruel smile.

Sirius explained how he was betrayed and how the populace was fooled into believing that he was a traitor. He told her about his life at Hogwarts and how he would have rather died than betray his friends. He watched her sit there like a stone taking in all of the information that he was laying in front of her. She didn't move, blink or fidget. She sat there absorbing everything without giving him an idea of what she believed.

"That's my story." Sirius said.

"I believe you." Viviana said as she slipped her wand into her sleeve.

"You do?" Sirius said with surprise written across his face.

"Yes I slipped you a powerful compulsion spell. It would make you want to tell me the truth. I apologize for the underhandedness; I do not apologize for wanting to know. I protect those in my care and I had to be sure that you were being honest." Viviana said.

"I understand." Sirius said. He had heard her name whispered in Azkaban, she was a ruthless hunter. She didn't stop until those that she pursued were either killed or captured. They feared her, and Death Eaters fear few. "What now?"

"Now we need to hide you. The Ministry is weak, they will not take this well. I will protect you, are you up for it?" Viviana asked.

"Yes, I am up for it. Can I say goodbye?" Sirius asked.

"Yes you can, let's go downstairs and talk to your godson. He is an amazing young man." Viviana said with a smile.

"Sirius." Harry said.

"Don't worry Harry, she believed me. Fed me a very strong potion in my drink, everything's okay." Sirius said.

"I'm going to create him a special identity, and hide him in plain sight." Viviana said. She walked to the fireplace and called her house elf to the fire place. "Tabs. I need your help."

"Tabs can help miss." Tabs said.

"Alright, I need a blank passport, a birth certificate and the rest of the paperwork. I need blank credit cards and an expandable wallet that will hold all of it." Viviana said. "Sirius I'm going to create a new identity for you, I'm going to make you my cousin, I'll change your appearance, you will have to wear a ring because it'll hold all of the new physical transfigurations that I will incorporate to hide you."

Viviana waved her wand across the documents and created a new identity for Sirius, he now became Alexander Thomas Kohl. He was her cousin through marriage, the documents would hold up even if he was called into the British MI-6. She silently thanked Dimitri for his help in teaching her how to forge effective documents. She also put enough galleons in his wallet along with a credit card and his identification. She picked up a heavy gold ring with an infinity symbol and lightning bolts surrounding it. She started pouring dozens of charms and spells of personal transfiguration into the ring. She finally encompassed it with a spell for hidden and safety. When she was done the ring had a dark amber glow, she handed it to Sirius and as he slipped it on his finger his transformation was complete. He filled out from being so emaciated, his eyes turned into a deep blue color, and his hair was shiny and thick. She made it shorter and it was the deep rich gold that wasn't close to his original color, she also straightened it instead of his signature waves. His bone structure changed as well, it almost looked a bit more masculine and less refined.

"Bloody hell." Sirius said. His voice even changed, it was deeper and smoother. "Woman you really are brilliant."

"You will remain hidden in plain sight, the ring will keep you looking like this, and your name is now Alexander Thomas Kohl. You're my cousin through marriage, we fell out of contact for a few years and you found me in London. You're moving in with me, you're independently wealthy from the oil industry. You are a wizard." Viviana said breathlessly.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at Sirius like he had grown an extra head. Sirius and Viviana smiled at them and Sirius reached out and hugged her tightly against his body.

"Thank you." Sirius said. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"This is the start of your new life Alex, make the most of it." Viviana said.

"Does the offer still stand?" Harry asked.

"Harry. I heard you were offered a place to stay this summer so you could be closer to Alex." Viviana said.

"Well we have the trip, but I want to live with him not the Dursley's." Harry said.

"Dumbledore explained something to me, he said that you have to live there for a short time, you will be with Alex and I you don't have to worry. The magic that you mother used to protect you, it involves being around your blood relatives. You have to stay there for a couple weeks; otherwise you are more than welcome to live with us." Viviana said.

"I have him now!" Harry said as he pointed at Sirius. "I don't have to live with those horrible people."

"Harry, listen to her. The magic your mother gave you when she gave her life to protect her is only as strong as the belief that the Dursley's as horrible as they are, are considered your family." Sirius said.

"Fine." Harry said angrily.

"Mate, calm down. You won't be there long and we'll visit." Ron said as Hermione nodded calmly.

"You three need to go cause some mischief somewhere else. Will you use your cloak and hide Remus in his classroom? I need to get Alex settled down at home." Viviana said. She walked to her bedroom and changed her clothes. She slipped a navy silk slip over her head, and found a matching navy silk dress the fit her like a glove, it was backless and she wore a double strand of pearls across her neck. She pulled her hair into an elegant French twist before walking back downstairs. She saw Harry hug Sirius tightly, Sirius smiled and he looked happier than anyone could have guessed. The doubts and worry melted away. As soon as Harry left he turned to her and slipped on his ring. He was dressed in slacks and a button down black dress shirt.

"Where are we headed?" Sirius asked.

"To one of my homes. Harry and his friends will be there eventually." Viviana said.

"You look stunning by the way." Sirius said.

"Thank you, are you ready?" Viviana asked.

"As ready to start my new life as ever." Sirius said.

Viviana slipped her hand into his and jumped into the flames in her fireplace. When she stepped out of the flames she was standing in an elegant mansion. The floors were marble, but the room appeared inviting and warm.

"We're in France this is one of my homes I owned with a friend. This is where everyone will be staying for the summer." Viviana said. "I'll show you your room."

"Why are you helping me?" Sirius asked.

"Because you got the raw end of the deal, and I won't let you be put away for a crime you didn't commit. I might be a heartless bitch, but I've never killed or turned someone in that didn't actually commit the crimes that they were accused of." Viviana said.

"Yeah, I heard that about you too, you have a lot of enemies." Sirius said. He was amazed at the sheer splendor that her home offered. It was tasteful and elegant. She was the type of woman that his mother would have been so proud to welcome into the family. He chuckled as he thought of this, it had been so many years since he had been home, but the ideals his mother invoked in him still made him bitter. He passed a mirror in the hallway and was shocked when he saw what he looked like. The dark circles and years of abuse from living in Azkaban were gone, he had almost Greek features, his eyes were a stunning blue color, while his hair was the color of sunset wheat. He was handsome in a very dignified sort of way. He looked over at Viviana, he knew she wasn't too much older than Harry, but she felt older to him. She glided as she walked the composition of a strut and a saunter. Her dress was classic and beautiful; she had evidently known how to dress, and how to fill her life with the teachings of an upper crust family. His mother would have been very happy to know they were together. "So, how old are you?"

"Alex, didn't your mother ever teach you it's impolite to ask a woman her age? I'm 19, and yes I do have a list of enemies." Viviana said.

"19? I would have guessed older I suppose." Sirius said. "It's your eyes and the way you carry yourself, you have such an iron will and inner strength."

"I suppose that's true. I've been told that before. This will be your room, it's one of the other Master bedrooms in the house. If you need anything feel free to ask. I have to get back to the school. I have exams to grade and I feel like Albus is going to want an update." Viviana said. "Use your ring to contact me, think of me and I'll know your trying to reach me. Did you need anything before I leave?"

"I don't think so. Thank you again, I am forever in your debt." Sirius said.

"The kitchen is stocked, and you can use a fireplace to get to the market in town. It'll connect you directly to the wizarding area of France. When you need to return here the password is 'Ardent Green'." Viviana said with a final smile.

"I'll keep in touch." Sirius said.

"Please do, I'll be here with a few people soon. End of the week after their exams are over. Make yourself at home, the house elf you saw earlier will be around to help you if you have any questions she will be here to help you." Viviana said before leaning over and hugging him. "Concentrate on making yourself heal. You've been away for a long time, and I know it will be hard to adjust. Read over your documents; memorize the documents so you can blend in better. I'll see you soon cousin."

"Goodbye beautiful." Sirius whispered into her hair.

-}-

Viviana appeared in her room at Hogwarts, she hurried from her room towards Albus' office. She knew she had a lot of explaining to do. She was hoping Remus was safe in his office. As she walked through the halls of Hogwarts she smiled, she had started to heal herself by helping Sirius. There were many nights in her life where she worried about her own karmatic burden. She had done so much evil, even at the cost of building the world into a better one; the evil she had committed stained her hands with blood. She sighed as she pushed the door open to Albus' office.

"Ah, I wondered when you were going to appear." Albus said with his trademark twinkle in his eyes.

"I apologize for making you wait; I had a few things to take care of before I met with you." Viviana said. "I have some information that I think you need to know. I think Severus needs to be here too."

"I thought he might, I've called him and Minerva." Albus said.

With that, Severus and Minerva walked into his office and stared openly at Viviana. When they sat down on the chair she conjured she patiently told them what had transpired that evening. Severus sneered when she talked about Sirius and Minerva remained calm.

"How can you believe him? He betrayed those he held closest to his black heart." Severus asked outraged. His love for Lily drove him to change from the evil that he was a part of so many years ago.

"I believe him because I dosed him with a truth serum that would make him want to divulge any of his secrets without any prodding from me. Truthfully Severus put your hatred aside, he is innocent. You knew something of this didn't you? Peter was Death Eater, you knew this, you of all people should understand this better than most." Viviana said passionately.

"So does Harry know?" Minerva asked.

"Yes, as does Ron and Hermione." Viviana said.

"Where is he now?" Albus inquired.

"He's at my home in France; he'll be staying there until he wants to leave." Viviana said.

"I see." Severus said. "Does Potter know that he's the godson of Black?"

"Yes, he is aware of everything Sev, he's a strong kid he'll pull through." Viviana said. "Dark times are ahead of us, we've all discussed this, if we divide over something petty they will destroy us without a second thought." 

"Thank you for reporting this." Albus said. "How did your students fare against your test?"

"They did fine, even Malfoy. If he tried harder he would be quite brilliant." Viviana said. "His father holds him back from his potential."

"And Pucey? Did you help him?" Severus asked.

"I did, he will be safe from his family." Viviana said.

"Good. They don't deserve him; he's a loyal, honest young man." Minerva said solemnly. "He's very talented."

"I think he plans on becoming an Auror." Viviana said.

"Good, he will do well as an Auror." Minerva said with a slight smile.

"I've got essays to grade; I'll see you all later." Viviana said as she departed Albus' office.

"Viviana." Severus said.

"Yes?" Viviana said.

"May I walk with you?" Severus asked.

"Sure, knock yourself out." Viviana said with a smile.

"Thank you." Severus said.

"For what?" Viviana asked.

"For saving those I could not." Severus said solemnly.

"Adrian?" Viviana inquired.

"Yes I knew for years that his parents drove him too hard, they abused him." Severus said. "When I made a formal inquiry he helped them to deny that they hurt him, I know what they've done, and I couldn't protect him or Harry."

"You must have loved her greatly." Viviana said.

"I will always love her. She was the essence of what good should be. You remind me of her." Severus said.

"Thank you for that Severus. Will I see you this summer?" Viviana asked.

"I don't think the sun is good for me." Severus said.

"Did you just make a joke?" Viviana said as she laughed. She reached over and hugged him tightly. "Sev you're welcome to stay at my home whenever you need to."

"I appreciate that. I'm sure that I'll see you later on in life, after all, you're a part of this aren't you." Severus said.

"Yes I am, I'll be fighting alongside with the rest of you." Viviana said.

"Take care of him." Severus said. "He's the last part of Lily on this earth."

"I will." Viviana said as she walked towards her classroom alone. When she got to her bedroom she saw Oliver sprawled across her bed, there were ink stains on his face from where he must have fallen asleep on his notes. She picked up his notes and slipped off her dress. "Ollie."

"Mhmm, Viv, you're back." Oliver said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. "When did you get back?"

"Not too long ago. Have yourself a nice nap?" Viviana said as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"Yeah, a little pick me up was all I really needed." Oliver said as he looked over his silk slip. "You'll be the death of me."

"No I think I keep your blood pumping." Viviana said as she kissed his lips.

"Well my blood might be pumping, but not in a region I normally use to think." Oliver said with a smirk.

"I think you do plenty of thinking with that area of your body." Viviana said. She felt his hands run through her hair and she felt her hair tumble down her back.

"You are a vision. Are you any good at potions?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, need help studying?" Viviana asked.

"Well yes actually, I really could use a bit of help." Oliver said.

"Alright get your toned rear downstairs to the kitchen table and I'll help you study." Viviana said.

"I'd rather study you in bed." Oliver said as he pulled her on top of him.

Viviana loved how strong his arms were, his stomach was flat and well toned. She could smell his cologne, he smelled earthy and comforting. She leaned down and kissed him passionately.

"Woman, honestly if you keep that up I'll never get anything accomplished." Oliver said.

"Then let's get up and actually get some work done." Viviana said. They made their way to the kitchen and she sat down and started working with him on his potions final. Oliver was quite clever when it came up to actually studying for the test, even for a practical he would be quite useful. He had a hard time remembering the small details that Snape wanted him to know. "Oh how did your final go this morning?"

"Minnie proved to be a difficult task master; she really put up a fight. But I know I aced it." Oliver said with a cocky grin.

"I'm glad to hear that. Can you believe you graduate so soon?" Viviana asked.

"Yes and no, I'm not sure how I'm going to feel knowing that this has been my home the last 7 years. I'm going to miss being here. Hogwarts really is magical." Oliver said nostalgically.

"Magical huh, I never would have guessed a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be magical." Viviana said sarcastically, she smiled as she said it.

"Ha, bloody, ha. Viviana you're too much for me sometimes. I should probably head back to the Common Room wouldn't want people to start asking questions." Oliver said as he leaned over and kissed her lightly.

"I'll see you at the end of the week. I have some things to talk to you about anyways. Don't give me that look, it's nothing bad." Viviana said.

"Alright, I'll see you when I'm done with my exams; I still have potions tomorrow, and charms. After that I'm free." Oliver said. "Oh, you wouldn't tell me how I did on my exam would you?"

"That's cheating; even if we are dating it almost makes it worse." Viviana said as she started laughing. She pulled his exam marks out and handed them to him.

"Bloody hell, an Outstanding. I guess I am good at this scholarly stuff." Oliver said.

"Yes you are, never forget that." Viviana said. "I'm not dating you for your non-existent good looks you know."

"Sod off, you love my looks. As does half the female population lest you forget." Oliver said cheekily before he pulled her into his arms. "Alright beautiful I'm going to study and crash. A few more days and you are all mine."

"Maybe, after your ego deflates perhaps I'll be yours." Viviana quipped back.

"My ego is an extension of my personality." Oliver said as he snuck in a heated kiss.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I could give you concrete shoes and you'd float in water due to your large ego." Viviana said with a smile.

"Large ego huh? I'll have to remember that's what large part of my anatomy you love." Oliver said cheekily.

"Shut it, you know that's not what I meant." Viviana said clearly flustered.

"Yeah sure you didn't, see you later love." Oliver said before he left her apartment.

As soon as Oliver left Viviana put on some music and started grading papers.

_I'm about to lose my mind, you've been gone for so long._

_I'm running out of time, I need a doctor._

_Call me a doctor, to bring me back to life._

_I told the World one day I would pay it back__  
__Say it on tape, and lay it, record it__  
__So that one day I could play it back__  
__But I don't even know if I would leave it when I'm saying that__  
__Ya'll start to creep in, everyday it__'__s so grey and black__  
__Hope I just need a ray of that__  
__Cause no one see's my vision when I play it for em__  
__They just say its wack__  
__Th__e__y__ don't know what dope is__  
__And I don't know if I was awake or asleep__  
__When I wrote this,__  
__All I know is you came to me when I was at my lowest__  
__You picked me up, breeding life in me__  
__I owe my life to you__  
__Before the life of me, I don__'__t see why you don__'__t see like I do__  
__But it just dawned on me you lost a son__  
__See this light in you, it's dark. let__ me turn on the lights and brig__h__t__en me and lighten you__  
__I don__'__t think you __realize__ what you mean to me__  
__Not the slightest clue__  
__Cause me and you were like a crew__  
__I was like your sidekick__  
__You gon__na__ either wanna fight me when I get off this f-cking mic__  
__Or you gon__na__ hug me__  
__But I'm not an option, there__'__s nothing else I can do cause…_

Viviana had gotten through most of her exams, before she stood and stretched. She looked outside and saw that the moon was high in the sky. As a child she used to stare at the brilliance of the moon and stars. She felt the moonlight on her skin and she smiled, it was a sight, the moon hanging over the large lake. The stars glittered with an ambiance that only celestial bodies were able to produce. She looked over at the exams and decided to finish grading them tomorrow, she only had a handful left to complete anyways.

She rolled them up with her wand and wandered up to her bedroom. She saw Boomer snoozing on her post and she walked over and stroked the beautiful falcons feathers. Boomer opened a lazy eye at her, and squawked.

"Yes I am home, did you have a night flight? Pretty soon we'll be in France and you'll have an exotic place to roam. Oliver won't be there very often so you might as well get used to not having someone spoil you constantly." Viviana said.

"Squawk." Boomer said.

"I'm sorry I'm not giving you the lavish attention he gives you, go bug him silly bird." Viviana said lovingly.

Boomer took off into the night in search of food or Oliver, Viviana wasn't sure which would make the bird happier. She hopped into the shower and toweled off before curling up in bed.

"_Anne." Viviana said._

"_Hello Viviana. How have you been?" Anne asked._

"_Oh you know about the same, school's almost over." Viviana said._

"_I know, I am you remember? How are things going with Oliver?" Anne asked._

"_As good as they can be, I leave for France soon he'll be training a lot. I know I'll see him now and then. I still have to meet his parents." Viviana said._

"_Nervous?" Anne asked with a laugh._

"_Slightly, I don't know how it'll go, I'm not sure how they'll receive me." Viviana said._

"_It'll go as well as you allow it to. You shouldn't worry they'll accept you because you make him happy." Anne said._

"_That is true. We really are happy together, it's going to be very difficult knowing that we're away from each other but it'll work out. I'll be training the trio this summer, training them for the future." Viviana said._

"_Can I show you something?" Anne asked as she extended her hands._

"_Yes. You always have something to show me." Viviana said nervously._

"_It's going to bother you, I'm sorry for that." Anne said._

"_You're like Janus, you offer me two doors one is my friend the other is my worst enemy." Viviana said._

"_Yeah I have been known to do that." Anne said. "The choices you make soon will determine who lives and dies in your life."_

"_I don't want that responsibility." Viviana said angrily. "I am not the alpha and omega I shouldn't have to decide who lives and who dies. I'll save them all if I can."_

"_Then you'll die, I wish you understood this. It's not a hard decision to make. Sacrifice is always the end and beginning of each chapter. Are you prepared?" Anne asked._

"_I am." Viviana said as she stood. Anne lead her down a hallway, there were two doors one was red one was white._

"_Pick a door." Anne said._

"_What do they represent?" Viviana asked._

"_They represent the choices you will make, the red is the past problems you've faced. The red represents the blood on your hands. The white door represents the good that you've done. You will have to confront everything eventually life is a circle Viviana, you can't rid yourself of the evil you've done." Anne said._

_Viviana opened the red door and stepped inside. She could hear the moans and screams of pain. She looked around the grave yard and saw some graves that were new, others old and crumbling. She walked down rows and rows of tombs before she stood before her own grave. A bed of roses were on the grave the headstone said :_

_Viviana Wood_

_1975-1998_

_Loyal to a fault, proud wife and loving mother._

_Her sacrifice insured the futures of all those that wished for freedom._

_There was a smiling picture of Viviana above her name. Oliver's name wasn't on the tombstone nor was the names of their children. A few paces away Oliver stood with his hand on the back of two young boys. He looked older, more reserved. The obvious pain in his eyes broke her heart; she tried running towards him but Anne's hand on her arm prevented her from running to him. _

"_You can't." Anne said._

"_Why? What happened?" Viviana asked._

"_You battled half of his forces single handedly, and you cast a charm that would kill anything evil within your radius, you sacrificed yourself during the final battle because you saw that everyone you loved would die. You died in the blast. Oliver couldn't save you and a part of him died that day. It's been 5 years since you've died he's raised your two sons alone, he refuses to date anyone. He loves you with everything." Anne said._

_Viviana walked over to where they were standing she could see the anguish in his eyes, the sadness and grief in her children's startling eyes. She saw the way Oliver held them against his body, the love and tenderness of his touch was startling._

"_When can we see Mum?" Will said._

"_Will, you'll see your Mum some day." Oliver said. His voice had matured fully; he still had his deep brogue. _

"_Is Mum ever coming home?" Their other son asked._

"_Vincent, your Mum is in Heaven." Oliver said sadly. "She died to save you two, she died to save everyone she loved."_

"_Mum was a hero." Will said._

"_Your Mum was a hero, she was one of the kindest, bravest people I have ever met." Oliver said._

"_I miss her." Vincent said._

"_I miss her too, she is the only one that I've ever loved so much besides you two." Oliver said. "We should leave it's getting too cold for you to be out here."_

"_We love you too Daddy." Will and Vincent said. _

"_I love you both very much, let's go home." Oliver said._

_Viviana walked towards him and followed them to a home in Southern England. It must have been close to Puddlemere. Oliver would have still played after the war, he really was amazing. She saw pictures of them as a family they all looked so happy and excited. Viviana saw of her personal items around the house, her wand was in a glass case along with her locket and engagement ring. She watched as Oliver put the boys into bed before he went upstairs to bed. He poured himself a large glass of whiskey. He sat alone with the fireplace for light._

"_Viviana you can't show yourself to him." Anne said._

"_It's a dream Anne why can't I?" Viviana asked._

"_This is your future, if you choose correctly. You'll be happy I promise, but not forever." Anne said._

_Viviana walked over next to Oliver and appeared crouched down next to him. He stared at her for a few seconds before he stood abruptly._

"_Oliver." Viviana said. She leaned in and threw her arms around him. "Please, don't do this, don't drink yourself like this."_

"_You're. Dead." Oliver said slowly._

"_Yes and no, I am dead in this future but won't be our future I won't let it own us." Viviana said._

"_Stop it! I can't take this, you're gone. You've been dead 5 years, I held you in my arms as you died. You smiled at me, kissed me and stopped. You died. I saw it, you cast that last spell and died to save the rest of the Order. We were losing, and you stepped in and saved us." Oliver said._

"_Please, understand that we'll be okay, I won't die." Viviana said._

"_I love you so much, why?" Oliver said._

"_Knowing myself I would have done anything to protect you, to protect the futures of our friends and children." Viviana said. _

"_You're right, I know. You always pushed yourself harder than anyone else I've ever known." Oliver said._

"_Go to sleep Oliver. It's late." Viviana said as she pulled him up against her. _

"_Stay with me tonight, please." Oliver pleaded._

"_Okay." Viviana said as she pulled off her clothes, she slipped into bed next to him. She saw Anne glaring at her. "I love you Ollie. I always will."_

"_I know you do, I've loved you since we went to Italy. I'll always love you Viv, don't leave tonight okay?" Oliver asked as he closed his eyes. He inhaled her warm scent, the spice of her perfume, the essence of her that he fell in love with. He gripped her tightly against his body, as he tried to prevent her from leaving._

_Viviana felt hot tears slowly slide down her cheeks as he held her. 'I promise this won't be our future.' I'll save them all without sacrificing the hopes and dreams we've made for each other. . She hoped she could accomplish what she needed to, and keep the promises she made._

-}-


	15. The Long Road Home

**Chapter 15: The Long Road Home**

**Hello and good evening, well late night for everyone. I'm glad I managed to crank out another chapter, I apologize to those who were hoping this would be a Charlie W. story, I thought I was going to go with him as one of the main characters and switched it. I apologize if I've offended anyone. I plan on making this story into three different parts, I'll probably write a few more chapters and end the first part of the series. Thank you very much for reading, it means a great deal to me. There is a sexual scene half way though this chapter, this constitutes your heads up =) Keep reading and reviewing please.**

Viviana woke up in a cold sweat; she was more worried about what she dreamed the previous night compared to the other dreams that had haunted her in the past. She felt like she should run to Oliver and tell him what she saw; she was still confused because she wasn't sure why she was seeing visions of the future. She knew she wasn't a technical seer but what was happening didn't present her with many other logical reasons. She wanted to talk to Albus but she knew that he would take her memories and they would haunt her later; Severus would grow tired and angry at her for hiding this from him and for not listening to him about taking a _dreamless sleep_ potion. She was running out of options of who to talk to. She picked up a book and threw it across the room in anger; usually she wouldn't let her own emotions cloud over her judgment but today was a special occasion. Seeing someone she loved with everything and her children weep over her grave brought forth an anger and passion of a fury possessed.

Viviana stood from the bed and showered quickly. She dressed casually in a pair of low slung boot cut jeans, and she found an old Quidditch jersey of Oliver's and debated on wearing it. She found a plain black t-shirt to wear instead of giving the students and teachers more ammunition. She threw her hair into a pony tail before leaving her room. She walked down towards the lake to mull over what she should do. She knew that Anne had an uncanny way of predicting the problems in her life, she wasn't sure if Anne was someone real or if she was a projection of her own intuition. As she walked down towards the lake she heard the millions of quills scratching on parchment and the tension in the castle felt so thick you could physically cut through it. She knew that Oliver was working on his final for Potions, he would probably do fine. She arrived at the lake and sat on an abandoned log that was situated next to the water; she slipped off her shoes and let the cool water lap against her feet. She felt the tension erase from her mind, the worries the fears were suppressed but not gone. She pulled her mind into a meditative state and slowly concentrated on lowering her heart rate. She let go of the sounds of the water lapping against the shore, she let go of the gentle breeze that caressed her hair, she let go of the noises of the forest. She let go of the tension in her upper back, she let go of the fear of the future, she envisioned herself growing old surrounded by the ones she loved. She saw the beauty of her children growing up in a safe environment free from the pain and worry of war. She asked forgiveness of those that she had slain, and broken. She pushed past her own past, the losses that compounded her life, and the ones that shaped her like a piece of metal in the hands of a blacksmith. When she could calmly breathe and center herself she opened her eyes.

Remus had seen Viviana sitting on the shoreline, he wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep sitting up or not. The only indication that she was alive was watching her breath slowly. His senses from being a werewolf helped him hear her even, slow breaths; it helped him hear her heart beat slowly to a dull solid thump in her chest. She was incredibly controlled; her life had forced her into who she was. He wondered what brought her out to the lake so visibly upset. As he approached her silently he thought he'd see how close he could get before startling her.

"Remus, how is your day going?" Viviana asked.

"You heard me didn't you?" Remus said.

"In a manner of speaking yes, I felt your presence behind me." Viviana said as she turned around to face him.

"Your senses are well honed, I'm assuming from experience." Remus said lightly.

"You know what they say about assumptions; in this case you are actually correct." Viviana said solemnly.

"What's bothering you this fine spring day?" Remus asked.

"Just another dream, they're getting worse and worse." Viviana said.

"What was this dream about?" Remus asked.

"I don't think I can really tell you without compromising someone else." Viviana said. She saw Remus' eyes widen and his lips formed a frown.

"I see." Remus said.

"Remus you told me your greatest secret, I'd be a shitty friend if I didn't tell you about this, will you please promise me you won't say anything about what I'm about to tell you?" Viviana asked.

"Of course I will, I promise that I won't say anything." Remus said. "I'm honored to call you my friend."

"Oliver and I have been dating." Viviana said. She tried to gauge his reaction, and he had a completely blank face. "The dream concerned him and our future together. I was standing in a cemetery next to my grave; he was there with our two sons. He had put flowers on my grave and the look in their eyes chilled me. They looked so broken and in pain I wanted to run to them. Anne the woman that guides me through my dreams chastised me for trying to run to them. She said that I would have to make a choice soon to either save the ones I love or watch them spiral into decay. I chose to save the ones I love and I paid with my life. Oliver raised our sons by himself and Anne said that he was too beside himself with grief to meet anyone else. He begged me to stay with him in the dream; I couldn't say no, it felt so real even though I knew it was a dream."

Remus sat quietly next to her as he processed what she had told him. He questioned why she was having the dreams but not why she was with the man she had chosen. They were 6 months apart in age, and having known them both the fit perfectly together. He still felt the bitterness of envy at her devotion and passion for him, unlike himself, he couldn't be trusted around those he would or could love.

"I don't fault you for loving him as much as you do. You wear your heart on your sleeve in those regards. I can't say what your dreams mean and talking to our resident 'psychic' wouldn't give you the answers you need. Did you learn any information on what decision or what provokes your death?" Remus asked. "Aside from wanting to protect the ones you love?"

"How familiar are you with Roman or Greek mythology?" Viviana asked.

"I dabbled in it, which is where my name arose from." Remus said.

"I will be pitted against Janus, the man with two faces. One side of his persona will be my best friend; the other will be my worst enemy. Janus represents the balance between our choices, he's a gatekeeper. He gives us a choice in our weakest moment to either fail, or we surpass what we as humans are able to do in our mortal lives. He doesn't offer us a door we can't go through, both choices are correct, one choice will offer us our personal demise though. It doesn't always mean death; it could be a death of our will or our happiness. In my case he offers me a choice that will save so many and kill the soul of my soul mate." Viviana said. "I don't know when the final battle will be fought; there are so many other lingering possibilities in life that I don't know where to plan. Janus hasn't given Harry or the Order their doorways yet and until that happens I can't plan for my own. I will be damned if I can't protect those in my care."

"Do you think your undoing is your own hubris?" Remus asked.

"There in lies the rub. I do believe to an extent that I am able to control my fate and the fates of those around me with enough planning and determination. Is that prideful? I believe it is, and yet I still pray to the gods for good luck and perseverance." Viviana said. She slowly stood up and stretched. "I'm going to go inside, I have some more exams to grade and I think Oliver will want to stop by later."

"Just be careful, even though he legally is of age I doubt the general populace would welcome your relationship with open arms." Remus said sadly.

"I hear you loud and clear, he wants it to be public so badly, but I know it's not right." Viviana said. "He wants me to meet his parents this summer, I said I would."

"Let me know how that goes." Remus said with a low chuckle.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Viviana said sarcastically. "Have a good afternoon, and thank you for your kind words, theology, and friendship."

"You're very welcome." Remus said.

Viviana wandered back through the castle stopping here and there to observe the magical castle. She knew that she would miss the comfort of the children she was surrounded with, they offered so many possible futures that it was difficult to think of anything else. She found herself by-passing her classroom and ended up in the Astronomy tower. The view was spectacular to say the least. She felt the sun on her face as she took in the majesty of the surround land Hogwarts was erected upon. She saw a speck floating in the air and recognized it as her falcon. She whistled lightly and watched as Boomer dove in a high arc towards her.

"Hello girl, did you see Oliver last night?" Viviana joked; she untied the parchment on the falcon's leg before fishing out a piece of jerky from her pocket. She fed it to Boomer and watched the falcon fly off towards her quarters.

_Viv-_

_I wasn't sure what your plans were tonight, I know that Gryffindor is throwing a huge party tonight, and I plan on attending. I wondered if we could talk before I head to the party._

_O._

Viviana decided to walk towards the Gryffindor common room to hunt for Oliver. She smiled at the portrait and it swung open. She saw Fred and George conversing closely with Lee Jordan most likely about the party they were planning for the evening. She saw Ron, and Hermione playing a game of wizarding chess and Harry and Ginny were spectators. She didn't see Oliver in the common room so she walked up towards Fred and smiled.

"Have you seen Oliver? He had a question about his exam." Viviana asked.

"Hello beautiful, the Quidditch Captain is currently in his room showering. Would you like me to retrieve him?" Fred asked.

"Thanks Fred I would appreciate it." Viviana said. She walked into an alcove in the common room that was hidden off towards the side. She heard a loud commotion before Oliver was shoved into the alcove wearing nothing but a towel. "Oh, I didn't think he'd pull you out of the shower!"

"It's fine lass, didn't realize you were so impatient to see me." Oliver said with his trademark smirk.

"Funny, I got your note." Viviana said.

"Well in my current state of undress, I think it would be better to speak to you once I'm actually dressed, want to see my room?" Oliver asked, he had mischief in his eyes and his smirk only grew larger.

"I'm not sure that's exactly a good idea, you're not dressed and until this week is over I'm still your teacher." Viviana said with a smile. "Not that I'm saying I don't enjoy the view."

"Well I guess you'll just have to wait for me in your bedroom, and I'll be by when I'm dressed." Oliver said.

"Works for me I'll see you soon." Viviana said as she walked out of the alcove. She noticed Fred staring at her intently with a wicked grin. "Fred, that wasn't as funny as you thought it would be."

"Oh it's plenty amusing. Your blush is quite delicious." Fred said mockingly. "Are you coming to the party tonight?"

"As your professor, I'll pretend I heard you saying something about knitting or something less provocative than asking me to indulge in your night of debauchery." Viviana said with an even smile.

"Sure, miss out on all the fun; you're closer in age to us than the other teachers." Fred said. "The theme is a masquerade."

"Fred as wonderful as that may seem, the amount of trouble I'd be in doesn't really let me say yes." Viviana said as she walked past him. She whispered in his ear, "But if I could, I'd definitely be going if I was a student."

Fred howled with laughter and smacked her ass as she walked out of the room.

"You're too much trouble for your own good!" Fred called. "Oh Georgie!"

"Yes Gred?" George asked.

"Viviana thinks that it would be too much trouble if she showed up in a costume to our little shin dig." Fred said.

"Nonsense, we'll all be dressed up, no one the wiser." George said.

"I'd love to see her costume; I heard that when she went to London recently she had quite the get up on." Lee said with a savage smile.

"She's a teacher, honestly." Hermione quipped. "You two agree with me don't you?"

"Err, well actually she is closest to us in age, and I bet she hasn't let loose in a long time." Harry said.

"Yeah don't be a wet blanket Hermione." Ron said.

"Ginny do you agree?" Hermione asked.

"Actually no, want to see if she'll help us with our costumes? Bill told she's wicked at glamour's and transfiguration. If we ask her for help I bet we'd be the best looking birds tonight." Ginny said.

"Fine, I see how it is." Hermione said sulkily. "When do you think she's free?"

"Ask Oliver." Fred said.

"Why should I have to ask Oliver?" Ginny asked.

"Well he's meeting her after he properly puts on some clothing." George said.

"Did I hear my name?" Oliver asked.

"Yep, Ginny and Hermione want to know when Viv is going to be free tonight, they want her expert help with their costumes and glamour's." Fred said. "Really we all should go bug her and see if she'd give us a nice costume."

"She's not a fae godmother Fred!" Ginny shouted.

"You're not my Mum, and who died and made you queen of asking people for things?" Fred said.

Oliver left the common room as soon as they started arguing; knowing those two it would be a while before they calmed down enough to talk rationally. He hummed to himself as he walked towards her room. He was excited to let her know that he did decently on his last exam. He felt so relieved knowing that soon they would be able to act like a normal couple around each other, without fears of judgment or persecution based on their predicament. When he got to her room he saw her standing in a silk robe facing the window. Her face was drawn into lines of sadness and he rushed over to her.

"Viv, what's wrong?" Oliver asked. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly against his chest. He tilted her chin up until he could stare deeply into her beautiful eyes.

"Nothing, just a bad dream last night." Viviana said.

"What was the dream about?" Oliver asked.

"The future, it's not looking so good for us." Viviana said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver said, he started to get angry because he was so sure of them. The idea of them breaking apart pulled at his heart strings until he felt them snap.

"Can I show you instead?" Viviana asked.

"I think I'd like to see what has my beautiful lass so upset." Oliver said as he held her against his chest. He walked her over to the bed before he picked her up and laid her down softly on the bed. He crawled in next to her and pulled her closely against his body. "Let me see what bothers you."

Viviana sighed and pressed her lips against his. The feeling of his body so close to hers astounded her. Electric waves coursed through their lips and she felt herself go weightless.

"This might startle you a bit, clear your mind and kiss me." Viviana said.

"You want me to clear my mind, and then kiss you?" Oliver said, his eyes were twinkling with amusement.

"Yes that's exactly what I want you to do." Viviana said. "Your mind has to be clear for this to work."

"Viviana you're ridiculous." Oliver said. He took a deep breath before he cleared his mind and kissed her. To say jumping into her memory was like flying thought that was an understatement. When they stopped flying through her memories they were in a graveyard. He saw tombstone after tombstone and he realized where he was. It was the Wood family graveyard. It startled him because he wasn't sure why she brought him there; it wasn't like she had ever been there before. As he held her hand she guided him towards a plot. There were fresh flowers on the grave and what startled him more than seeing a man standing off to the side with two young boys was the name on the tombstone.

_Viviana Wood_

_1975-1998_

_Loyal to a fault, proud wife and loving mother._

_Her sacrifice insured the futures of all those that wished for freedom._

Oliver carefully read the inscription on the stone before looking over at Viviana. Silent tears streamed down her face, she wasn't staring at her grave but at him. He saw the two boys standing with a man that resembled his father. Why would his father be there? The man looked years younger than his father but the same familiar features were present in the man's build and stature.

"Can they see us?" Oliver whispered.

"No this is just a memory." Viviana said.

"We were married, why's my father here in the Wood family cemetery? Who are the children standing with him?" Oliver asked.

"That's not your father, that's you and those are our children. I didn't realize that this was your family's private cemetery." Viviana said. "This is 5 years after the war, I died saving you and those we cared and loved. I sacrificed myself to save you."

"How do you know that?" Oliver asked.

"I was told that's what this particular dream meant. I'm sorry you had to see this. I was told that we would be the happiest we could ever be, until the war." Viviana said. "I thought it was only fair to show you the pain you'll go through to stay with me. It might be better if you did find someone else, someone that will make it through this war."

"This is ridiculous, you will make it. You have to." Oliver pleaded with her. He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and looked intently into her eyes. "You are who I'm meant to be with; we'll have wonderful brilliant children. We'll be happily married, you won't die."

"Oliver, I don't think this will work. I don't want to see the pain in your eyes when I leave." Viviana said.

"Don't give up, there are always other options, we'll find another way to save everyone." Oliver said. "You don't have to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders, you're not Atlas. Please Viviana, don't tear my heart out not like this."

Viviana stood against him; she glanced over at the solemn look that the children were giving her. They stared right into her soul. She looked into Oliver's eyes and saw the passion and love in them. She wanted to run to protect him, but wouldn't she be doing the same amount of damage by leaving him now? Running away would solve the inevitable and she believed strongly that she decided her own fate. She pressed her lips tightly against his and they awoke in her bed wrapped in each other's arms. The worry and concern in his eyes broke her. She let out a soft sob as he cradled her in his arms.

"Shush, its okay, I'm here." Oliver said as he held her.

"I won't leave. I promise." Viviana said.

"I know. This will work out, it has to." Oliver said as he kissed her hair. "No more tears of longing my love, please."

"Oliver, I should probably shower and get dressed I still have a few exams to grade. How did your potions exam go?" Viviana asked.

"Smashing, I know I got at least an Exceeds Expectations." Oliver said. "Oh Ginny and Hermione wanted to know if you would possibly consider helping them tonight. They knew you were a daft hand at glamour and transfiguration. Fred and George, well actually everyone in the group thinks you should dress up and come to the party."

"Is that so? What do you think of the matter?" Viviana said.

"Honestly, I agree, you should come along." Oliver said. "You're officially done being my teacher and I want you there as my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Viviana said. She smiled at his happy smile and she melted when she gazed into his eyes. "Tell the ladies to give me until 5 and they can come over and I'll help them with what they need for the party tonight. I want you to go and have fun too."

"Do you deny that's what you are?" Oliver asked patiently.

"No I agree, it sounds like we're so young hearing that though." Viviana said with a smile.

"Don't know if you know this or not Viv, but we are young. Not even twenty." Oliver said lightly.

"Touché Oliver, touché. I'll see you later have fun okay?" Viviana said before she walked towards the bathroom.

"So can I come see you after the party?" Oliver asked.

"Stay with your friends, you'll see me more than you'll see them this summer." Viviana said. "Show up tomorrow for breakfast okay?"

"Brunch?" Oliver suggested.

"Sounds about right, I'll have a hangover tonic prepared for your night of debauchery." Viviana said.

"Sure you don't want company later tonight?" Oliver said suggestively.

"I don't think you drunk stumbling to my bedroom makes for a good idea." Viviana said.

"Yeah, I guess. I could just fly though your bedroom window." Oliver said.

"Oh even better Oliver, drunk flying through the night." Viviana said with a full laugh.

"Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow." Oliver said. "Go shower and I'll send Ginny and Hermione your way."

"Have fun, be safe. Try and keep those drunken girls out of your pants." Viviana said teasingly.

"You're the only girl I want to have taken off my clothes." Oliver said as he kissed her.

Viviana showered and dressed in a pair of shorts and Oliver's Quidditch jersey. She sat on her couch and finished grading the exams. Before she knew it she heard a knock at her door.

"It's open." Viviana called.

"Hey, Oliver said it was okay if we got ready here." Ginny said with a happy smile. "Oh, nice jersey."

"Thanks." Viviana said with a blush. "Oliver gave it to me at the end of your last match. He did have the courtesy to tell me it was clean."

"So you're together then?" Hermione asked politely.

"Yeah, been together ever since Charlie turned out to be a complete douche." Viviana said.

"Bloody wanker." Ginny said seething.

"You didn't perhaps grade my exam yet did you?" Hermione asked coyly.

"Yes I did, you got ever answer correct minus the one that asked about self reflection. You still cut yourself so short, you're not just book smart and logical, you have a wonderful talent and you're a lot braver than you give yourself credit for. You both got an Outstanding in my class." Viviana said. "Well now that that's over, what did you two plan on going as for this masquerade?"

"I don't think the boys have ever seen us actually dressed up, we thought about something sexy without being skanky." Ginny said.

"Perfect, I have just the idea." Viviana said before leading the girls up to her bedroom. She went through her closet and pulled out a thigh length, black leather skirt and an ice blue silk corset for Ginny. She paired it with a pair of 'screw me' heals and a pair of translucent black stockings that had a faint shimmer in them. She also found a pair of leather gauntlets that were embezzled with diamonds. For Hermione she pulled out a Victorian meets 5th Avenue emerald green gown. Delicate beading flowed across the bodice of the dress and she paired it with a pair of black leather spiked pumps and silk gloves. She found two plain masks and worked her magic across them to fill in different motifs that were suggestive and yet secretive. Ginny's mask had a black outline around the eyes, and the border of the mask and she charmed it to be a deep blue that matched the shimmer in the stockings. She added a diamond on the inner and outer corner of the eyes of the mask and proclaimed it done. Hermione's mask matched the emerald of the gown and had delicate vines around the border of the mask and feathers coming off the side of the mask. "So, what do you think? I went for a punk rocker theme for Ginny, and a Victorian meets sex kitten for Hermione."

"Wow, this is better than we could ever have pulled together." Hermione said. "Those shoes might be a problem."

"I doubt it, I cast charms in both pairs of shoes to give you balance and they won't slip or slide." Viviana said. "Alright for hair color and eye color you two pick."

"I've always wanted to be a redhead." Hermione said excitedly. "With bright emerald green eyes!"

"You'll look stunning." Viviana said as she waved her wand over Hermione. She made her hair straight and silky and gave her emerald colored eyes that matched the dress and added flecks of antique bronze in them. "Ginny?"

"I think I'll go bright blond, and for my eyes I want them to be gray." Ginny said with a smile. Ginny looked into the mirror and saw her hair turn a bright blond with honey colored highlights and a subtle wave. Her eyes looked like liquid silver with flecks of bright sapphire highlighting them. "Perfect, this means so much to us."

"Hurry and get dressed, and I'll see what jewelry you can wear. Drink this potion it will change your voice and accent. Just think of what tone you want to project and what accent you want." Viviana said. She saw the girls pound the potion and slip into their costumes. They both looked completely different, Hermione's voice sounded more bells like, and Ginny's took on a smoky tone.

"Viv, you really should come with us, no one would know!" Ginny said.

"I was against it at first, you are a professor. I reconsider, please join us!" Hermione said eagerly.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Viviana said. The looks in Ginny and Hermione's eyes told her that she really didn't have an option to say no. She smiled and slowly changed her appearance to what she'd look like when she worked for the Ministry. She knew she had to build a confidence in that character anyways. Her eyes became a bright sapphire blue with streaks of silver and gold in them. Her hair was an inky black with an undertone of blue and she grew a few inches. She picked out a Grecian style dress in an ivory silk that left her back bare and it hung on her shoulders, the material dipped down low enough in the front to give a glimpse of her chest without being over done, the dress fell to the floor and had slits on each side up to her thighs. She paired the dress with a pair of black leather lace up sandals'; they laced up to her knees and didn't have a heel. She put on a diamond choker, and a diamond drop earrings, she also slipped a band through her hair that was made out of silver and had moonstones and diamonds woven through the metal. She handed Ginny a pair of sapphire earrings, and a matching necklace. Hermione was wearing an emerald and onyx choker necklace and a matching ring. "So I think we're ready to go. You might want to change your name, after all this is a mystery."

"Don't forget to make yourself a mask!" Ginny said. She smiled as Viviana transfigured a mask to ivory silk lined in black around the eyes and around the mask itself. She had diamonds on the inside of the eyes and the outside of the eyes much like Ginny had. She painted her lips a blood red and considered herself done.

"I've always wanted to be Genève." Hermione said. "So I guess that'll be my name tonight."

"Audra, I really like the way it sounds." Ginny said.

"Solena, a mixture of the sun and the moon." Viviana said. "I'll meet you later; don't want everyone to know who I am. To change back and forth between what you look like now and your normal selves, mutter the incantation '_anijaneous' _I'll see you ladies later, oh and don't tell anyone I'm showing up."

"Ok, thank you again, and we'll see you tonight!" Hermione said excitedly before she rushed out of the bedroom.

Viviana smiled at her reflection, Oliver didn't think she was coming and she was more than happy to surprise him. It would be a lot of fun to see just what he was like around his friends.

-}-

When Viviana knew it was time to head towards the Gryffindor common room she cast a charm on herself to make her look invisible. When she got closer to the common room she quickly uncast the charm and gave the password to the portrait before heading in. The party was in full swing by the time she had arrived, she saw Hermione and Ginny chatting up a few different boys in the common room and everyone was dressed to impress. Ginny and Hermione pretended not to notice Viviana and she appreciated that. She looked around for familiar faces and she saw Fred and George in classic pantomime costumes with opposing masks. She scanned the crowd for Oliver and came up short; she looked for his build because everyone was wearing a costume and a mask.

"You are beautiful lass; may I enquire your name?" Fred asked.

"A lady doesn't reveal her name without knowing the gentleman's first." Viviana said coyly.

"My apologies my fair lady, I am George Weasley." Fred said as he bowed low before her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you George, I am Solena Nikitas." Viviana said with a deep curtsey. "Will you escort me around the room so I am able to meet the rest of our compatriots? I am a little stunned that you didn't choose a different name, this is of course a masquerade."

"I chose to remain myself." Fred said as he offered Solena his arm. He couldn't figure out who she was, clearly she wasn't who she said she was, but he didn't have any other indication of who she could have been. "Do I get a hint at your actual identity?"

"A lady doesn't reveal her identity. I am sorry George." Viviana said as she took his arm. She was lead through the room and saw through most of the student's costumes. She passed a striking young man with raven's wing colored hair and eyes the color of the sea. "George who was the young man we just passed, he was dressed like a Centurion."

"I think he called himself Artorius." Fred said.

"As in King Arthur of the round table?" Viviana said as she laughed lightly.

"Your voice is like a bell, it's beautiful. Should I introduce you to my brother?" Fred asked.

"I would enjoy meeting your kin, and I thank you for your sweet compliment." Viviana said.

"Follow me fair lady! Oi, Fred, come meet someone." Fred said.

"George who's this enchanting lovely lady?" George asked.

"This is our beautiful enchantress named Solena Nikitas. She won't give us her real name, but he is quite the dishy bird." Fred said.

"A pleasure to meet you Fred." Viviana said with a small smile. She noticed that the guy that dressed up as a Centurion was eyeing her gently and she flashed a full smile at him. "When will someone introduce me to Artorius?"

"Did someone request my presence?" Artorius asked. His voice was a nice even alto with little accent to give any idea of whom he was.

"That would've been me; I was curious who you were." Viviana said.

"My queen." Artorius said as he took a knee in front of her. "I am the legendary Centurion Artorius. I am humbly at your command."

Viviana reached down and caressed his chin and pointed his eyes at her. His eyes were mesmerizing and she quietly wondered if Oliver was this handsome Centurion. His eyes sparkled much like Oliver's did and they held the honor and dignity his normally did.

"My loyal Centurion, it is my pleasure to give you your command, your presence if very welcome." Viviana said.

"May I humbly request my queen's informal name?" Artorius requested.

"I am Solena Nikitas. I am no queen." Viviana said. "You honor me with your kind words."

"I beg your humble apology, your name is a blend of the moon and sun, your surname is unconquerable one. You represent the balance between the day and night, a truly unconquerable woman. Perhaps you are a goddess." Artorius said.

"Young Centurion, your ideas while honorable gives me rise to my ego." Viviana said.

"Is my lady thirsty?" Artorius asked.

"I must admit I find my throat slightly parched." Viviana said.

"Then follow me to the site where nectar is found." Artorius said as he slipped his arm gently around her waist. Oliver looked at the goddess in front of him, he thought that it might be Viviana, but she had said she wasn't going to be in attendance. The dress that this girl was wearing was stunning; it gave her attributes considerable show. She was enticing, illicit, amazing. When he grabbed their drinks he moved her towards the alcove that he spoke to Viviana in earlier. "Truly, I request your name."

"I gave you my name soldier." Viviana said with an arousing voice.

"Please. I won't hurt someone I love because I assume you're someone you're not." Artorius said.

"You are as honorable as the man you portray." Viviana said. "I'll make you a small wager Centurion."

"What are the rules?" Artorius asked.

"I want one simple kiss; you have to mean it with everything in your soul." Viviana said, she was almost sure that it was Oliver.

"What is a simple kiss supposed to prove?" Artorius asked.

"If you guess who I am after we've kissed, I promise you one wish." Viviana said.

"You seem more like a succubus, than a goddess." Artorius said. "If I lose what's the consequence?"

"You'll never know who I really am." Viviana said. "I will erase the memory of us meeting. Win, win situation I would say."

Oliver stood before her, he was unsure of what he should do. He knew with almost certainty that he was standing in front of Viviana, if he was wrong it could prove to be a disaster. He would never cheat on her, and he had promised her that. He reached out and slowly touched the woman's face; her eyes were sparkling with an intensity he'd never seen.

"One kiss. I have my own conditions." Artorius said.

"What do you desire?" Viviana asked seductively.

"Follow after me, cast a cloak of illusion around yourself and follow me." Artorius requested.

"Where will we go?" Viviana asked. She hoped this was Oliver, she felt in her heart that it was Oliver, he was still smooth, and it made her happy that he resisted her. She had a feeling that he knew it was her.

"My quarters aren't far, if you are who I believe you to be, I want you alone with me." Artorius said.

"And if you're wrong?" Viviana said.

"If I am wrong, then you erase my memory of the kiss, and I will wonder who you were." Artorius said.

"I agree to your terms, they are fair." Viviana said as she cast an illusion around herself. She stepped forward and kissed him on the lips she felt him shudder and pull away. "That doesn't count as the kiss, but if I am a succubus you're my incubus. I couldn't resist your delicious lips."

"Follow me temptress." Artorius said. Oliver led them up the staircase and into his bedroom. He pulled the girl onto his bed and cast a silencing charm over his bed and locked his curtains. "I want your mask off as well."

"So eager to see me undressed?" Viviana said with a laugh. "If you want it off please, feel free to take it from me."

"My pleasure." Artorius said. He reached out and slowly pulled the mask from her face. He saw the thick eye liner ring her beautiful eyes; they portrayed lust, and ardor. Her lips were painted a deep crimson red and he could smell her delicious scent. Toasted almonds, fresh apples and star anise perfumed his senses. "Are you ready my dark goddess?"

"Are you?" Viviana asked. She felt his hands caress her shoulders and neck before she was pulled roughly against his lips. She felt them press like rose petals against her lips, his tongue slipped out and into her mouth fully tasting her. She moaned seductively against his lips and felt his arm pull her under him, his weight held her tight against his body. She wasn't sure how long she was under his talented lips and hands before they finally broke for air. "Do you know who I am?"

Oliver looked deeply into her eyes, and saw them search for recognition. Without a doubt he knew who he held under his body. "Viviana. My beloved." He watched as her features bled from her transfiguration into her normal ones, her eyes shone with love and passion.

"Very good Oliver, compliments on your own methods of transfiguration." Viviana said as she kissed his lips lightly. "How did you know?"

"Someone doesn't kiss someone they don't know with that amount of sexual energy and passion, you knew it was me." Oliver said.

"I guess that's as good as any. What is your one wish?" Viviana asked. She watched Oliver pensively thinking about what he wanted, she felt uneasy when his eyes lit up.

"I want to marry you, and give you the full life I can offer you." Oliver said.

"Oliver, are you sure that's what you want?" Viviana asked.

"Well not right away, but I want to marry you and have children with you. That's my wish." Oliver said smugly. "You're everything that I want in a woman, everything I need."

"You're awfully sure of yourself you know." Viviana said with a smile. She slipped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him in for another earth shattering kiss.

"Who convinced you to dress up and attend our masquerade?" Oliver asked.

"That would've been a combination of Ginny and Hermione." Viviana answered. "They said that it would be decently easy for me to show up and have everyone fooled with my disguise. The added affects of the alcohol also helped my cause."

"I'm glad you showed up, I have something to admit." Oliver said gently.

"What are you confessing?" Viviana asked seductively.

"I've always wanted the girl I care about in my bed; it's more of a fantasy than anything." Oliver said. He sat up on the bed and slowly slipped off the straps of her dress; he leaned down and began a trail of light, feathery kisses from her jaw line to her neck. "Will you stay here tonight?"

Viviana felt the urgency in his tone, and felt his fingers slowly slide the material of her dress down the sides of her body until she was clad in just her panties. Oliver's fingers slowly traced her tattoos and she shuddered.

"What if we get caught?" Viviana inquired breathlessly.

"We won't. If you want we could head back to your room. It's more private there." Oliver said.

"That might be a better idea." Viviana said. "Although you have undressed me, mind if I get dressed? We can cast our illusions and get to my room if you want."

"Good plan." Oliver said as he handed her the dress he skillfully removed from her moments ago.

As they walked out of his bedroom and down the staircase they noticed who was still in costume and who wasn't. Oliver saw Fred kissing Angelina on one of the couches, and a few other students had also partnered up. Oliver held Viviana's hand tightly as the crept slowly through the castle towards her bedroom. _Merlin, did I really mean to tell her that there's nothing else that I want but marriage? I have my career to look towards, and she has her own to think about. _Oliver frowned and was thankful that she couldn't see his face, it would have worried her. Earlier that week he had spoken to his father about his future and his father had inquired about rumors that he had a girlfriend.

"_Oliver, I heard through the grapevine that you're seeing someone. Is it serious?" Mr. Wood asked._

"_Where did you hear that?" Oliver asked. "I am seeing someone and it's serious."_

"_What about your future? You won't have a lot of time to actually see anyone once you're playing for Puddlemere United." Mr. Wood lamented. "Are you happy with her?"_

"_Yes, she really makes me be a stronger, determined person. We've talked about our futures; she's going to be plenty busy with her work." Oliver said stubbornly._

"_What exactly will she be doing? Who is she Oliver?" Mr. Wood chuckled. "You seem so serious about her, it's the first time I actually think you want a relationship."_

"_She's going to be working in the Auror department. She's from America, and her name is Viviana." Oliver said. "We've been dating for a few months or so. I don't really know when it became official."_

"_I think I may have heard of an American that's going to be starting a new branch in the Auror department; she's a year older than you correct?" Mr. Wood asked. _

"_Yes, if she had been at Hogwarts we would have graduated at the same time, she's only six months older than me." Oliver said._

"_I'm not telling you to give up on what you have with her, but remember a few things: There are plenty of fish in the sea, and you will always have your career." Mr. Wood said._

"_She's amazing Dad, I want to marry her." Oliver said angrily. "There may be plenty of women out there, but she's the one for me."_

"_You're young Oliver, who's to say what you'll want later on down the road." Mr. Wood said. "I'm not saying you should leave her, but don't rush into anything, think about all of your options okay?"_

Oliver remembered storming out of his Father's house pissed beyond all recognition. He knew that his father was only looking out for him, but it bothered him that his father wasn't fully supportive of his decision to stay with Viviana.

"Ollie?" Viviana said as she pulled him into her bedroom. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing love, just a memory I want to forget." Oliver said as he picked her up and carried her bridal style into her bedroom. "I talked to my Dad last week and he was less than thrilled about how serious we are."

"He's worried about your career isn't he?" Viviana said, she admired Oliver's will and determination to be the very best at whatever he was trying to accomplish. "I'm sorry you fought with your father over me."

"Its fine, I'm happy to have you in my life, you're the one thing that's constant besides Quidditch." Oliver said. "I wouldn't want to trade you for anything."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, I really am. I don't want you to feel pressured to stay with me." Viviana said.

"There's no pressure being with you." Oliver said as he took off his costume. He was left clad in his boxers. "Come to bed; let's forget this for now we can discuss this later."

Viviana didn't complain and fell into his arms, into his warmth and into his embrace. She admired his mischievous brandy brown eyes, his strong jaw, and his soft brown hair. She ran her fingers through his hair, relishing in the silky texture. She saw his eyes light up and he sat up to kiss her. She felt his fingertips slowly trail down her exposed back, felt his strong arms lift her above him until she was straddling his hips between her legs.

Oliver reached up and slowly slid the straps of her dress off of her shoulders and he watched as the silk pooled around her waist. He traced his fingers along her slender hips, up towards her breasts; he cupped them in his hands and watched as her hair was thrown back as she moaned. He pulled her down flush against his body before he pressed his lips tightly against hers. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and began caressing her naked body. He loved the way her body molded against his, she was so much smaller than he was, her head barely came up to his shoulders but the differences in stature didn't matter to him. He flipped her onto her back and slid on top of her, he shoved his fingers roughly though her hair and grasped it tightly. He heard her gasp and he devoured her essence from her lips. He reached down and slid her panties off of her body before slipping off his boxers. He looked deeply into her eyes and slipped deeply inside of her. He kissed her passionately as he felt their bodies move in sync with each other. He saw her eyes light up with a fervor of something more complex than he thought possible to describe just from once glance. It was like he saw down to the very core of her being, down to the essence that made her, her. He watched her eyes roll back, and he felt her tighten around him. He heard her moan from pleasure, and felt her slice up his back as he began thrusting deeper and faster into her.

"Viv, fuck girl, yes, like that!" Oliver grunted into her ear. Her leg was wrapped around his waist as he furiously thrust inside of her.

"Oliver! Oh god, oh god, please!" Viviana screamed. She came screaming his name, writhing under his body. She heard him groan into her ear as he filled her as he finished.

Oliver rolled over and pulled her against his body. He stroked her face softly, as he gazed into her eyes he saw so much raw emotion and passion for him he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"Viviana, I…" Oliver trailed off. "I really don't want to lose you this summer."

"You won't, I promise." Viviana said.

"I know you'll be in France, but could we see each other when I'm not training?" Oliver asked.

"Sure, did you want to live with each after I start at my new job?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah, I think that'd be nice." Oliver said. "We'll both be busy but it won't be too bad. I'll be living south of London, but we can stay near the ministry, it's easier for me to commute than it is for you."

"You're perfect you know, really perfect." Viviana said. She laid her head against his shoulder and started to drift off to sleep. It had been a long time since she felt so at peace and she fell asleep.

Oliver covered her up and held her tightly in his arms. He thought of the dreams that she had about them, and he worried. He didn't want to lose her to the dark side of the war, what would he do without her? It was a question he didn't have the answers for, and the answers that arose in his mind weren't ones he was willing to welcome. He leaned down and kissed the bend of her neck before he made himself comfortable and fell into a deep sleep.

-}-

When Oliver awoke he could hear different metallic clanking noises coming from the kitchen. He glanced at his watch and noticed that it was nearly noon. He could smell Viviana's favorite hazelnut coffee brewing, and it smelled like she was making his favorite pumpkin spice French toast. He sat up and looked over at the bedside table; she had left him a short note saying that he should shower before he came down for brunch. Oliver stretched and headed towards her lavish bathroom.

Viviana heard Oliver walk to the bathroom and she knew she didn't have a whole lot of time to prepare her surprise for him. She finished making the French toast, coffee, bacon, eggs and fresh tea by the time he started walking down the staircase. There was a basket in front of the chair that he normally occupied.

"Puddlemere United colors? What's in the basket?" Oliver asked with a huge grin on his face.

"That my darling is a basic basket of Quidditch essentials." Viviana said. "I know that the practices and two a days will be really rough on you, so I devised a clever way to keep you in tip top mental and physical condition. There are different potions, creams, salts and a few other goodies all in Puddlemere's colors just to keep you safe and healthy."

"Thank you gorgeous. I really appreciate it." Oliver said as he took a sip of tea. He leaned over and kissed her. "I don't know if I'm fully excited or worried that soon I won't be here, I'll be training."

"You still have a little while before you leave." Viviana said. "I'll be with the Weasley's soon, in France."

"Oh did you want to meet my parents this weekend? Come stay at their house for a week?" Oliver asked.

"I suppose that's only fair considering we'll be kidnapping you the week before you leave for training." Viviana said. "Will they like me?"

"My Mum will for sure, she'll really enjoy getting to know you." Oliver said. "My Dad will learn to like you, once he sees how happy we are together it'll be fine."

"I hope so, I really hope so." Viviana said pensively. "Tomorrow's graduation, are you excited?"

"A little, well maybe a lot, I'm surprised that it's all over." Oliver said.

"Why are you surprised?" Viviana asked.

"Seven years has flown by so fast, didn't it feel that way when you left school?" Oliver asked.

"Not really, I wasn't in school as long as you were. I graduated when I was sixteen, trained with Dimitri for another year, and basically lived on the run until I was eighteen. I was happy to be done with school, it really wasn't my thing, I was too practical and wanted to actually start my career." Viviana said.

"We really had different lives didn't we?" Oliver said. "You'll meet my parents tomorrow; I hinted that you were coming home with us after the final ceremony."

"Yeah, I kind of assumed that's what would happen." Viviana said with a smile. "Where does your family live?"

"Not too far from here, our family has a nice place in Scotland, it's beautiful." Oliver said. "We own a manor a few hours from here, there's even a Quidditch pitch in our back yard."

"That doesn't really surprise me Ollie, you would train year round." Viviana said with a laugh.

"I am going to go pack my things, I'll see you later tonight okay?" Oliver said.

"Alright I should probably pack my things too, I will be in the common room later, I really need to talk to everyone regarding the trip." Viviana said.

"See you later love." Oliver said as he kissed her lips lightly.

Viviana walked around her quarters and waved her wand effectively packing all of her belongings. She heard a knock on her door and she waved it open.

"Albus, what a nice surprise, how are you?" Viviana asked.

"Doing quite well, how did you like teaching this year?" Albus enquired.

"I enjoyed it, it was a pleasure working here, and getting to know so many of the students." Viviana said.

"We will miss having you here; you were a wonderful asset to Hogwarts." Albus said. "There was something I had to ask you."

"Then please, feel free to ask away." Viviana said.

"You know about the original Order of the Phoenix?" Albus asked.

"Yes, I have heard of them." Viviana said.

"Would you care to join it officially?" Albus asked.

"I would, I will always keep in contact, and I know my position with the Ministry will aid you in the years that are coming. A fight is brewing Albus; I don't know how everything will work out." Viviana said.

"I have felt it starting since Harry entered this school." Albus said. "Help him keep his childhood this summer, train him, but also make sure he enjoys himself."

"I will I promise." Viviana said. With that, Albus left her quarters and she went back to packing. After dinner she walked towards the Gryffindor common room in search of the Weasley's. She saw Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron sitting around a table discussing something or another. "Hey, where are your brothers?"

"Fred and George are in their rooms." Ginny said.

"Alright will you guys head to my classroom and I'll wrangle them up and meet you there?" Viviana said.

"Sure see you soon." Harry said.

Viviana climbed the boy's stair case and knocked on Fred and George's door. She heard a loud bang before the door opened. Fred was standing in his robes and his hair look slightly singed.

"Oh, hello Viviana. Fancy seeing you in our neck of the woods." Fred said.

"Will you grab your brother and meet me in my classroom?" Viviana asked.

"Sure love, see you in a few." Fred said.

Viviana made it back to her classroom and saw the other four sitting at their desks. She smiled at them before pulling out different envelopes. She saw Fred and George casually strut into the classroom before taking their seats. She passed out the envelopes and sat down in front of them.

"In another week we'll all be heading to France, you'll all still be underage so we're going to either have to take a port key or use the muggle transportation. In the envelopes is your spending money allocated for the summer, it has to last you the two months that you're there. We're going to be staying in different houses in France; most of them are either mine or Fleur's families. I want you all to have fun, and still remain safe." Viviana said with a smile. "Make sure your bags are packed the night before we leave, I don't want anyone to forget something they need when we actually get to France. This summer I'll still be training Harry and anyone that wants to join in is more than welcome to do so."

"Viviana this is a lot of money." Hermione said.

"I guess so; I want you guys to have a fun, worry free summer. I have plenty of money, and honestly I don't necessarily have uses for it. I donate to charities across the globe, and I enjoy spending my money on my friends and loved ones." Viviana said.

"Thanks, that's very generous of you." Harry said.

"Alright read the notes I handed you and keep your money in the wallets I handed you." Viviana said.

"Viviana what's that weird plastic card in there?" Fred asked.

"A credit card, besides the gold and the checks that are in the wallets, the credit card is linked to your own personal banks I've set up. If you're in the muggle world you'll have to use the credit cards or change some of the gold to Euros. The credit card has 1,000 Euro's attached to it." Viviana said. "If you need more money for the muggle world use your wallet to transfer the money. The wallets while not incredibly fashionable can't be lost or stolen. Prick your fingers and let the blood droplet fall onto the face of the wallet. It'll be keyed to your unique gene signature."

"That's really advanced magic!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Thank you Hermione, you guys better head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow at the graduation ceremony." Viviana said before ushering them out of her classroom.

The next day was full of energy and tension. Most of the students were preparing to watch the graduation ceremony. Viviana saw Oliver dressed in his clothes, with his Captain's pin attached to his lapel. She smiled at him and he gave her a heart melting smile back. She sat with the other teachers and watched as the students names were called so they could receive their diplomas. At the end of the ceremony Albus said a witty speech regarding the necessity of remaining unified and strong. Oliver had won a few awards, mostly to do with Transfiguration and especially Quidditch. She was so proud of him, when they all through their caps into the air Viviana mixed with the crowd and found Oliver standing proudly with his family. He reached out and picked her up in his arms before laying a strong kiss on her lips.

"Oliver, this must be your lovely girlfriend." Mr. Wood said.

"Yes, this is Viviana Valentine, she's my amazingly brilliant girlfriend." Oliver said proudly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Viviana." Mrs. Wood said. "So you'll be joining us this weekend correct? We're throwing Ollie a graduation and congratulatory party for getting signed to Puddlemere."

"Yes ma'am, I will be in attendance." Viviana said formally.

"No need to be so formal Viviana, you're welcome to call me Michelle." Mrs. Wood said.

"Thank you Michelle, I'm looking forward to getting to know your family." Viviana said. She felt Oliver slip his arm around her waist. She also noticed his father briefly narrow his eyes at his son's gesture.

"Mum, Dad we're going to go get our things ready, where should we meet you?" Oliver asked.

"Well we apparated here, and we'll disapparate when we head home. You can either floo in or disapparate with us." Mr. Wood said.

"I'll see you at home, thank you for coming." Oliver said with a beaming smile. "I finally did it."

"We're so proud of you sweetheart. We'll see you both at home." Michelle said.

Oliver led Viviana out of the Great Hall and towards her quarters. When they arrived they both worked hard to slip everything into a single trunk so it would be easier to carry. Oliver crammed his belongings in with hers and transfigured them to fit in his pocket.

"Is everything okay?" Oliver asked.

"Your Mom is really nice, your Dad on the other hand glared at me when you weren't looking." Viviana stated.

"My Dad is just worried about my future; he doesn't think that we'll last. I promise he'll warm up to you, don't worry. If he acts like a prat I'm sure Mum will take the Mickey out of him if he doesn't shape up. I can already tell that she really likes you." Oliver said confidently. He leaned over and kissed her lips.

"I appreciate your vote of confidence." Viviana said. She slipped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes as they apparated into his bedroom at home.

**Thanks for reading I would love a couple reviews on how you as a reader are receiving my writing style. Please R&R I'm not sure how many people are still reading this story.**


	16. So is this Goodbye?

**Chapter 16: So is this Goodbye?**

**Hello everyone I'm sorry it seems like I fell off the face of the Earth. I'm trying to re-do part of my plot and character developments. I appreciate those that are still reading my story it really does mean a lot to me. I may never actually meet any of you but I still appreciate it. Happy Memorial Day!**

Viviana gasped when she saw the sheer ridiculous amount of Quidditch related paraphernalia in Oliver's room. The walls were a deep crimson red and the trim was done in gold, it mimicked the Gryffindor common room. She saw different broom models in cases along the wall, and over the fireplace a large painting of Puddlemere United featured different players zooming in and out of focus.

"So this is what your bedroom looks like." Viviana said with a short laugh.

"Yeah, I did go a little overboard." Oliver said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He pulled the miniature trunk out of his pocket before making it full sized. He then pulled the other trunks out and set them at the end of his rather large bed. "I assume you'll be sleeping in my room, I mean there are plenty of guestrooms in the house, but you're my girlfriend so I want you to stay with me."

Viviana looked around and saw a large bathroom off to the side along with a large walk in closet. There was also a baby grand piano in the corner of the room.

"Do you play piano?" Viviana asked.

"Mum made me take lessons; unfortunately for her I didn't have the same passion for piano as I did for Quidditch. I can still play a few different classical compositions at the drop of a hat." Oliver said proudly. He went on to hang her clothes up in his closet and set her belongings alongside with his. He also set up Boomer's cage in his bathroom and left the window open so she could easily fly in. He then sat down on the edge of the bench in front of the piano and started playing. "This song is called Pearls of Joy; it's one of my Mums favorites."

Viviana sat down and listened to the beautiful melody, it was haunting. She sat next to him on the bench and marveled at how graceful his fingers were as the swept across the piano. It was interesting to see him passionately working his fingers across the keys; his face was one of utter composition. She never would have pegged him for a musician, he was an athlete, it went to show her that judging a book by the cover wasn't always the way to go.

"So what did you think?" Oliver asked tentatively.

"Amazing, I guess I feel like we don't know a whole lot about each other. I never would have pegged you for a musician. You're brilliant, your fingers move so effortlessly across the keys. Seeing your muscles in your hands and arms is quite sexy." Viviana said with a sly smile.

"He really is quite amazing isn't he?" Michelle said adoringly.

"Yes he is, I learned something new about him." Viviana said.

"Do you play any musical instrument?" Michelle asked.

"I do, I play the violin and piano. I learned how to play the guitar when I was in school." Viviana said.

"Well you two unpack, are you staying in here with Ollie?" Michelle asked.

"Mum, is that alright with you?" Oliver asked, he was gently flushed from embarrassment.

"Fine by me, just make sure that you guys are being safe, you're lucky we're on the opposite end of the house." Michelle said mischievously. "Ollie your father is going to want to speak to you privately before dinner."

"Thanks Mum." Oliver said as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He realized how tall he was compared to his mother. He must have hit a growth spurt while at school, his mother had always been petit but hugging her just confirmed that.

"Alright I'll see you two for dinner, Viviana I'm so glad to meet you." Michelle said with a full smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, thank you for your hospitality." Viviana said. "Did you want me to help you in the kitchen?"

"You're welcome, alright unpack and relax. Ollie head towards your father's sitting room in a half an hour." Michelle said. "You're more than welcome to help me in the kitchen."

Viviana watched as Michelle walked out of Oliver's room with a smile on her face. She was happy that his mother seemed to like her; she was worried that his father wasn't as welcoming. He treated her like she was preventing him from reaching his full potential. She felt Oliver reach out and pull her against his chest, she felt his chin on her shoulder and she leaned into his embrace.

"You realize you Mom just gave us permission to have pre-marital sex right?" Viviana said jokingly.

"Yeah, I realized that. Honestly it was a little unnerving. She really likes you, I can tell she actually wants you to help cook." Oliver said with a smile. "My previous girlfriend stayed over and had to stay in the guest room, and wasn't allowed near the kitchen. I think my Mom really understands how much I love you."

"Oliver, I'm very touched, truly." Viviana said. "I think I'm falling in love with you, I'm not going to rush this process."

"Yeah I know." Oliver said. He wasn't surprised that she didn't tell him that she loved him. He saw the worry in her eyes for a brief second before adoration filled them. "I'm going to change and then go meet my father."

"Sounds like a plan, should I change too?" Viviana asked. She was wearing a deep crimson dress trimmed in black silk. It was v-neck in the front and fell to her knees, it was very flattering and made her look lovely.

"No keep what you're wearing on, you look delicious." Oliver said. "Don't worry my Mum will go easy on you."

"I'm not worried about talk to your mother; it's your father's conversation with you that I worry about." Viviana said as she walked down the hall and into the kitchen. She saw Michelle standing at the sink slicing up various vegetables. "What can I do to help you?"

"Oh, would you check on the roast in the oven?" Michelle asked. "So, did you deliver Ollie to his father?"

"Yes I did, I think I'm more nervous for him. I don't think your husband is incredibly fond of me." Viviana said honestly.

"Viviana it's not that he doesn't like you, it's more or less worried that Oliver fell in love with you so quickly. He doesn't want this to ruin his chances later in life. I argued with him about that, I can see the way you to look at each other. You're both equally consumed with each other, I don't think you're a temporary fixture in his life, I know my son and I can see just how much he loves you." Michelle said happily. "Give him some time and he'll come around."

"Thank you for the advice, what's next on our kitchen agenda?" Viviana asked.

"Well we're just waiting on the men; I saw we give them another 15 minutes before we go rescue them from themselves." Michelle said.

-}-

Oliver stood in his father's study looking at the man in front of him. His father held a glass of scotch in his hand and was reviewing a letter from Puddlemere. Oliver knocked on the study door before entering.

"Oliver." Mr. Wood said. "Care to have a drink while we discuss some things?"

"That'd be nice. What things are we going to be discussing today?" Oliver asked.

"A few different things, I see you're still with your girlfriend, you also got a letter from Puddlemere today." Mr. Wood said as he handed Oliver a scotch on the rocks along with his letter.

"Is there an actual particular reason why you're so against Viviana?" Oliver asked.

"How well do you know her?" Mr. Wood asked.

"Pretty well, I've known her since the beginning of the school year, she's determined and honorable." Oliver said as he skimmed over the letter from Puddlemere.

"I see, wasn't she your teacher while you were at school?" Mr. Wood said. "It sounds a bit scandalous."

"I pursued her, she didn't pursue me." Oliver said.

"How is she taking your acceptance to Puddlemere United?" Mr. Wood asked.

"She's excited for me, she'll attend my matches and we're going to live together in London. We'll both be focusing on our careers, but we're ready to work out our futures so they coincide together." Oliver said confidently. He saw his father frown and then glare.

"Oliver you need to focus on your career not starting a family. What type of family is she from anyways?" Mr. Wood inquired.

"She's from America; her parents come from a very long line of pure bloods. They're incredibly wealthy and she's made her wealth herself." Oliver said.

"I see, so she's not after the family money or your budding career." Mr. Wood stated.

"No she's not, she has more money than she knows what to do with, Dad she wouldn't have to work the rest of her life and still have more money based off of the interest in her accounts to never run through all her money. She's inventive, kind hearted, passionate and perfect. I really am going to marry her, I wish you were willing to understand that and be happy for us." Oliver said.

"If she's going to make you happy, truly happy, then I'm fine with it." Mr. Wood said. "I promise to be friendly with her. Your mother assumed that you two would be sharing your bedroom, Oliver just make sure you don't knock her up without at least being engaged."

"Dad, honestly. We are very careful, she's been on a potion the entire time we've been dating, and neither of us are ready for kids yet." Oliver said he was blushing furiously because he was slowly processing the fact that he was actually have the sex talk with his father.

"Ollie, William, dinner's ready." Michelle called from the hall.

"Well we should probably join our lovely woman. I'm glad you stood up for her Oliver, if you're willing to fight so hard to have her in your life you probably will marry her. I'm glad she's not like the last girl you brought around." William said.

"Yeah, really don't know what I was thinking about when I started dating her." Oliver said.

"Well she was physically appealing." William said.

"Yeah, that's probably the only reason I dated her, she did know about Quidditch." Oliver said.

"So you banged her and broomed her?" William asked.

"Who did he bang and broom?" Michelle asked.

"His last girlfriend." William said as he laughed fully. "Viviana I must apologize, you're really a beautifully amazing woman. I am happy that you and Oliver are doing so well together."

"Oh I see, your apology is accepted, and I'm glad that we're spending time with you this weekend." Viviana said levelly. They all sat down and enjoyed a meal together before Viviana was whisked into Oliver's arms. He pulled her outside and onto the porch. "I guess that went better than before."

"I guess so, Dad and I had the sex talk." Oliver said.

"Really? How did that go?" Viviana said.

"Well, he basically gave us permission to have sex as long as it was protected; I had to remind him that you're on the potion. I also got him to admit that we'll marry later on." Oliver said. "I'm sorry that he brought up my ex in front of you."

"Oliver, it doesn't matter she was in your past, I'm in your present." Viviana said. She leaned in and kissed him gently.

As they walked around the back of the yard they looked at the different stars and felt the light breeze play with their hair. Viviana slipped her hand into Oliver's and leaned against him. She wasn't looking forward to leaving his parents house because that meant it was that much closer to having to separate.

"So, your family is pretty decent." Viviana said.

"Yeah they're really supportive, I got lucky." Oliver said. "Do you have something to wear tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, I think you'll like it. Hey, you're Scottish." Viviana said with a coy smile plastered across her face.

"Well, yeah I thought we had discussed that, hence the accent." Oliver said, he sounded confused.

"So, do you ever wear a kilt? If you were to wear a kilt to you wear anything under it?" Viviana asked, she tried looking completely innocent. She watched Oliver's eyebrows raise before he started laughing.

"I have worn a kilt a few times, and yes I found out the hard way that wearing something under a kilt is a good idea." Oliver said. "Sometimes you surprise me love."

"Good, someone has to keep you on your toes, shall we head back inside?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah that sounds like a perfectly good idea, especially because I get to wake up with you in my arms." Oliver said.

Oliver slipped his hand into Viviana's and led her inside towards the living room. He saw his father watching a Quidditch game on the television, his mother was reading a magazine focusing on different exotic recipes.

"Well we're going to go wash up and head to bed." Oliver stated. He looked at his father and saw him smirk, his mother smiled at him and nodded.

"Okay we'll see you two tomorrow for breakfast, don't forget a silencing charm." Mr. Wood stated with the same smirk Oliver usually wore.

"Thanks for that Dad. Good night." Oliver said.

"Good night everyone." Viviana added.

As the pair walked out of the living room Viviana felt Oliver's hand tighten slightly around hers. She looked over at him and saw the same smirk his father wore.

"What's so funny? You're wearing the same smirk your father was wearing." Viviana said.

"Well, I find it amusing that my father made a comment about a silencing charm." Oliver said. "It might help because you're awfully loud love."

"Oliver!" Viviana exclaimed. She playfully slapped his arm before leaning in for a kiss.

"Love, I'm just saying that you're very unrestrained." Oliver said. "I'm not complaining."

"Sure, honestly I don't feel right having sex with you in your parent's house anyways." Viviana stated.

"I can't agree, it is my bedroom after all." Oliver said.

"I'm sure you wouldn't agree, but I think it's impolite." Viviana said.

They walked into his bedroom and she slipped off her clothes before pulling on one of his t-shirts. She watched up toss his clothes in a pile on the floor before he walked into his bathroom. They both washed their faces and brushed their teeth.

"Are you ready for bed?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, I'm glad we're able to wake up next to each other." Viviana said as she slid in next to him and curled up next to his side.

"Tha gaol agam ort." Oliver said.

"That's new, I love you too." Viviana said.

"I went back to my families roots." Oliver said with a smile.

-}-

The next morning went by quickly, breakfast went without a hitch. Oliver went out with his broom and began training right after lunch, and Viviana trained next to the Quidditch field. She ran a few miles before working with some punching bags and a few different types of dummies that would train her to avoid getting hit with various spells. After she was done she mounted her broom and flew with Oliver as he trained. After a few hours they were both worn out and decided to call it quits.

"I'm so exhausted." Oliver said with a loud sigh. He was sweating and looked like he could've used a shower. "Want to relax in the hot tub?"

"Sounds perfect, want me to grab those salts?" Viviana asked.

"You're too good for me my love." Oliver said. "I'll meet you in the pool area."

"Okay I'll see you shortly." Viviana said. She went into the kitchen to grab a pitcher of water. She ran into his parents and she smiled at them. "Where would I find a pitcher?"

"Here, will this be large enough?" Michelle asked. She handed Viviana a beautiful glass pitcher with elegant vines carved into it.

"That's perfect thank you." Viviana said as she added another powdered potion to the water. She then summoned the bath salts out of her trunk.

"What did you add to the water?" William asked.

"It's a powdered potion that will give the drinker all of the essential vitamins, and electrolytes lost after a work out." Viviana explained. She held up the vial of bath salts and shook them lightly. "These are added to either a hot tub or bath tub and they heal minor cuts, bruises, strains and sprains. They also easy muscle fatigue, and pain."

"You're really not just a pretty face." William said. "Did you create these yourself?"

"Yes I did, I needed something to help combat the many hours I trained while I was studying with my old teacher." Viviana said.

"What exactly did you do before moving here to teach at Hogwarts? I realize you were a teacher while you and Oliver started dating, the age difference doesn't bother us as much as we thought it would've." William said.

"What I did before teaching is complicated. Technically I was a curse breaker and a curse maker for various banks in Italy and America. I was considered an attaché to the government before that. I hunted down and captured or killed various criminals for them." Viviana said. She tried gauging their reactions to her life story.

"That's interesting, is that what you'll be doing after this summer?" Michelle asked.

"Yes, I'll be doing that type of work after the summer." Viviana said.

"What do your parents think?" William asked.

"To say they hate it is an understatement. It's not for the normal reasons of fearing for my safety. They're worried that I'll portray my families' genealogy wrong. Both of my parents are from incredibly wealthy pure bloods and they thought that I should marry for a better monetary connection than for someone that respects me and loves me. I don't follow their beliefs on politics or fiscally." Viviana said.

"When did you speak to them last?" Michelle asked gently. Michelle worried that Viviana was more like an orphan than a woman that struck out on her own. "Do they support you any longer?"

"I haven't spoken to any of my family members in a few years. They haven't supported me financially or emotionally since then either. I'm not dating your son because I hope to ride on his coat tails either, I have a considerable amount of personal wealth that I've made on my own." Viviana explained.

"It's something that I personally questioned, I know my wife didn't necessarily worry about, but I want what's best for my son." William said.

"I understand that sir and I'd be more than happy to give you careful documentation of my own earnings and statements." Viviana said as she handed William a copy of her bank statements. She watched his eye brows raise at how much money she had actually accrued in her lifetime.

"This wasn't necessary but it seems as though you really aren't dating him for his eventual earnings." William said. "Thank you for sharing this with me, I hope I didn't offend you too much."

"I can understand where you're coming from, it does offend me but it makes sense so I won't hold it against you. I really should join Oliver, he looked pretty tired." Viviana said.

"Would you like me to walk you there?" Michelle asked.

"I would appreciate it, thank you." Viviana said. As she walked with Michelle towards their pool and sauna area she looked over at his mother to see if she could discern what she was thinking.

"I am sorry that my husband seems like such a prat." Michelle said. "I love him dearly but some days it seems like he cares more about Oliver's career over his happiness. I believe that my son will be able to make a perfect balance between the two and I'm sorry that your parents didn't give you that option."

"Thank you I really appreciate your support. Your husband is determined to give Oliver a good life and I can't fault him for that. Oliver is a brilliantly determined young man, he's also very talented. He could do whatever he wished, his grades were exemplarily, and he is a talented Keeper. I've spoken to a few contacts in the Quidditch league and I know he's a hot commodity. I think he could get a few offers that would give a better signing bonus, and I know Puddlemere United didn't give him the money or contract he deserves, but it's not my place to burst his bubble." Viviana said.

"I appreciate you supporting him so much, why do you think he could get a better contract?" Michelle asked.

"Well I spoke to a friend of him on the board of directors for Puddlemere and they really low balled him. He could ask for another twenty thousand galleons and a five year contract and they'd take it. Believe me, I asked." Viviana said.

"I'll mention that to William, I didn't realize that they did that to Ollie." Michelle said. "Well here's the pool and sauna area have a nice afternoon. The party is tonight, did you have something to wear?"

"I didn't really think of what to wear, honestly." Viviana said bashfully.

"Would you want to go shopping with me?" Michelle asked.

"I would that would be very pleasant, I'd like to get to know you." Viviana said.

"Wonderful! I'll meet you in the foyer in 2 hours." Michelle said with a large smile gracing her face.

"Thank you again ma'am you've been very welcoming and it means a lot to me." Viviana said.

"No more of this ma'am business call me Michelle, and welcome to the family." Michelle said as she walked away from the pool area.

"What did you bring me love?" Oliver asked.

"A potion to revive your mind, and salts to revive your body." Viviana said with a smile.

"Did you get thrown to the wolves?" Oliver asked.

"Your father has my bank account records and your mother and I talked about a few different things. She wanted to take me shopping for something to wear tonight." Viviana said as she slipped into the hot tub next to Oliver. She poured him a glass of the potion and added two vials of the salts to the hot tub.

"He made you give him your personal information?" Oliver asked slightly outraged.

"He didn't make me give them to him; I gave them to him to prove that I'm not a gold digger." Viviana stated. "He doesn't intimidate me Oliver; you don't have to worry about that. Your mother and I discussed your contract with Puddlemere I heard back from one of my friends and I'm thinking you got swindled."

"Really, they didn't give me a good contract?" Oliver said clearly puzzled.

"Not really no, they could've afforded to pay you another 20,000 galleons annually and they could've signed a 5 year contract with a bonus of 50,000 per year depending on your statistics." Viviana said.

"I feel like I got hoodwinked." Oliver said glumly.

"Speak to your father about it okay?" Viviana said. "If their committee doesn't give you want you want threaten to go to another team."

"Viv, they are the only team I want to play for." Oliver said.

"Yeah I know honey but they will bend to their will especially with your father's words and mine." Viviana said.

"Your name carries a lot of weight doesn't it?" Oliver asked.

"Yes it does, can I tell you something without you getting angry?" Viviana said.

"It depends on what you're going to tell me." Oliver said.

"Well, I may have sent some money to Puddlemere as a silent sponsor." Viviana said shyly.

"Why did you do it, and how much are we talking?" Oliver asked carefully. He knew that she had a lot of money, but he didn't want her to buy him a spot on the team.

"I did it long after you got picked up, don't worry you earned a spot on that team on your own personal merits. I did it because I wanted to make sure that you had every opportunity on a team that had a good financial backing for new equipment and the best management that you could have. It was a gift that I hoped would make you happy." Viviana said. "Are you mad at me?"

"Knowing that you did it for the reasons you did it no; I'm glad that I didn't buy my way on the team through my girl friends connections and bank accounts. You still didnae tell me how much you gave them." Oliver said.

"About 100,000 galleons give or take." Viviana said.

"Viv! That's a ton of money!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Well I wanted to make sure that you would have the best gear, coaches and anything else you needed. I knew that your stadium would need some rebuilding, you need new uniforms and I wasn't sure what Broom Company and other companies were going to shell out more money." Viviana stated.

"I know that we're getting sponsored by the Firebolt broom company and I don't know about our gear." Oliver said. "I'm sorry I sounded so ungrateful, I appreciate it. I forget that you have a ridiculous sum of money to your name."

"It's okay; I'm not sure what I want to do with it. I donate to a lot of different companies, mostly to help those in need." Viviana said.

"You amaze me darling, you really are so loving and giving." Oliver said.

"Thank you Ollie." Viviana said with a smile. "I should shower and get ready to meet with your mother."

"Okay love; see you later have fun with her." Oliver said.

Viviana walked up to their room and showered before picking out an outfit. She wanted to make sure that she could keep up fashion wise with his mother. She picked out an ivory silk dress trimmed in violet that fell down to her knees, she paired it with a triple strand of black pearls and a pair of violet Louboutin's that she had found at a vintage store. She found her lilac crocodile Birkin bag and slipped her wallet into it along with a few of her personal items. She walked towards the foyer and saw Michelle standing in the foyer waiting for her.

"You look lovely, I love your purse is that a Birkin?" Michelle asked.

"Yes, one of my friends has an aunt that works for the company so she gave it to me for Christmas." Viviana said.

"You're incredibly lucky, those are a rare find." Michelle said.

"Your outfit looks like it's a classic Chanel dress, it fits you perfectly." Viviana said. Michelle had on a beautiful pale blue satin dress paired with a pair of matching Chanel pumps that accentuated her legs perfectly.

"Thank you dear, shall we?" Michelle asked. "Honey we'll be back in time for the party!"

"Muggle or Diagon?" William asked.

"Italy!" Viviana called.

"Italy? How are you getting there?" William asked.

"Port key, I have one with me." Viviana said as she held out a small charm.

"Interesting, see you ladies later." William said as he walked towards the living room.

"Italy, well I guess that works." Michelle said.

"Believe me the best shopping for formal wear is found in the private boutiques in Italy. What designer are you thinking of?" Viviana asked.

"You know them by name?" Michelle asked astounded.

"I have a few friends in the business." Viviana said teasingly.

"I am very partial to Chanel. It's a very classic designer company." Michelle said.

"Well let's head there." Viviana said, she extended the charm to be held between the two before she activated the port key. The appeared in Milan on a small room in a clothing store. "Well we've arrived in Chanel's hidden boutique."

"Amazing, thank you Viviana." Michelle said.

"You're welcome." Viviana said as she opened a door into a larger foyer. "Clara, thanks for squeezing us in today!"

"Viviana it's nice to see you again." Clara said as she hugged Viviana tightly.

"Michelle Wood, pleasure to meet you." Michelle said.

"Clara Beaufont, thank you for coming today." Clara said. "I had enough time to pull together a mock fashion show, if you ladies would follow me please."

Viviana and Michelle followed Clara down a hallway until they reached a small ball room. There was a shortened catwalk along with a few seats in front of it. There was a small table set up with various champagne bottles, cheese, and fruit as well.

"Enjoy the show and help yourself to any of the treats on the table." Clara said.

"Viviana I didn't realize that you were able to book a show this quickly." Michelle said.

"Well technically it was Clara that did the work, I helped her family a couple years ago, and I think she feels like if she keeps me well stocked with designer threads we'll be even." Viviana said.

"I don't think I've seen this line yet, is it new?" Michelle asked.

"Yes, it's their new spring into summer couture collection, most of these styles won't be found anywhere but here. I was hoping you would enjoy seeing them. Let Clara know later what styles you like and she'll have someone custom tailor them for you and she'll deliver them to your home for this evening." Viviana said.

"This really is such a treat, I truly appreciate all of your kindness." Michelle said.

At the end of the show they had a few glasses of champagne and Michelle had made her decisions. Viviana found a beautiful navy blue cocktail dress with was embroidered with golden crystals and pale blue silk. They thanked Clara for the help and they made their way to a shoe store. Viviana was incredibly partial to Louboutin's and stopped at one of their boutiques.

"You have to try some of their shoes on, they are so incredibly comfortable!" Viviana exclaimed. She picked out a pair of deep navy stilettos that had the signature red backing.

"They seem incredibly well made. I would like to try on the signature black stilettos please." Michelle asked.

They tried on various pairs of shoes as that would complement their outfits for the evening. Viviana ended up purchasing the navy blue pair, and Michelle was torn between the classic black stilettos and a fun summer wedge heeled sandals in a bright magenta.

"I don't have anywhere to wear those ridiculous shoes." Michelle said with a laugh.

"Well they would dress up a black dress, and they're fun." Viviana said as she walked up to the counter. She set the three pairs of shoes on the counter before handing the clerk her credit card.

"Viviana you don't have to purchase those for me." Michelle said.

"I want to do this, you're being so hospitable it's the least that I can do." Viviana said.

"Well I appreciate it, shall we head back? There's only a couple hours before the guests arrive." Michelle said.

When they got back to the Wood Manor Viviana hugged Michelle and made her way to Oliver's bedroom. When she got there she saw him taking a nap on his bed. She set her bags on the floor and quietly walked over to him and sat down.

"Viv, you're back." Oliver said.

"Just got back honey, having a nice nap?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah, I was enjoying the ability to sleep whenever I felt like it. I also know that tonight will be very draining." Oliver said.

"Is that so?" Viviana asked.

"Yeah, lots of people to meet and talk to. They'll want to know how long we've been together, how we met things like that." Oliver said.

"I appreciate the adequate heads up, are you worried?" Viviana asked.

"Not particularly. I'm more worried that you'll be interviewed to death." Oliver said.

"Not death by interview!" Viviana said mockingly. She leaned down and curled up against his side. "I should probably get ready for tonight, I know that it's a black tie affair."

"You always look like a million galleons my love." Oliver said. He reached out and stroked her face gently.

"Thank you Oliver, I appreciate your sweet compliments." Viviana said. "What are you wearing?"

"Mum insisted on making me wear a suit." Oliver said with an equal mix of distain and boredom.

"I'm sure you'll look wonderfully handsome. I've never seen you dressed to the nines." Viviana said.

"Do I get to see what you purchased today?" Oliver inquired.

"Not until tonight, it's navy." Viviana said. "I may have picked out Puddlemere colors."

"Well I guess I can wear a tie to match what you're wearing." Oliver said.

"That would be nice, I'm going to shower and start getting ready." Viviana said as she kissed his cheek.

"Would you be opposed to sharing the shower?" Oliver asked with that mischievous glint in his eye.

"Oliver, if you joined me in the shower I'd really get behind on getting ready for the evening." Viviana said. "You make a very tempting offer though."

"Not tempting enough." Oliver said with a pout.

"I'll make it up to you later." Viviana said as she sauntered off towards their bathroom. After she finished showering she cast a spell to straighten her hair, she added a serum to it to give it gloss and smooth it out. She wasn't sure if she was going to leave it down or pin it up. She started on her makeup, giving herself a thick line around her eyes and finished her look with some shadow to give her eyes a smoky look. She then found a deep crimson lipstick that had a charm to prevent it from smearing or smudging. She slipped on a pair of black sheer thigh highs and clipped them into her garter belt. She loved the feeling of the silk sliding over her body. She slipped on her shoes, and added the locket that Dimitri gave her and a one of her diamond rings. She looked in the mirror and smiled she looked very elegant and dignified. As she walked out of the bathroom she saw Oliver's mouth drop to the floor.

"Viviana, you look breath taking." Oliver said. He had already put on his slacks and shirt but hadn't finished tying his tie.

"Thank you darling, need help with your tie?" Viviana asked.

"Do I need help? Probably not, but I would love it if you would tie it for me." Oliver said.

Viviana walked over to Oliver and slowly straightened out his shirt before looping his tie over his collar. She knotted it twice before she finished a Windsor knot. She straightened his tie and smoothed out his collar.

"You look handsome." Viviana said as she kissed his lips.

"You look ravishing, ready to go meet everyone?" Oliver asked. "You'll be surprised by a few of the guests."

"I'm sure I will be, I heard that Minerva will be here tonight. She always did seem rather fond of you." Viviana said.

"She was my go to person before you came along, when I was unhappy she would usually help me clear my head." Oliver said.

"She does give good advice, she's also a Scot if I remember correctly." Viviana said.

"Yes she is, I'm sure that she'll be wearing her colors tonight." Oliver said. He had pinned his family crest to the lapel of his suit jacket, and smiled at Viviana when he caught her eying it. "This is my families crest, if we have time to sneak away I'll show you our family tapestry."

"I'd like that." Viviana said as he slipped his arm around her waist.

They approached the ballroom, and Viviana saw just how many people had been invited. She saw many of the sponsors for the Quidditch leagues, a few representatives from Gringotts, Oliver's Gryffindor team, and a few other faces she was sure she'd be introduced to. As she walked around on Oliver's arm she saw how many people his family really knew. They were as well connected as her family was in America, she had known that they were an old family, but the magnitude of their influence was awe inspiring.

"Angie!" Oliver called as he hugged one of his old team mates. "How's your summer break going so far?"

"Pretty decently, Viviana how are you handling Oliver's family?" Angelina asked.

"I'm handling it well, it's a little bit like being back home, except that I enjoy seeing the people here." Viviana said with a smile.

"Fred and George are here, I thought I saw them somewhere." Angelina said.

"I think that they're trying to chat up my cousins from France." Oliver said.

"Looks that way doesn't it." Viviana commented. "Who else is here from your team?"

"Which one?" Oliver asked with a grin.

"Your team you prat." Angelina said with a smile.

"I see Alicia, Fred, George, and Katie. They're all wandering around, I'm sure we'll bump into them sooner or later." Oliver said. "I have to meet with the coach of Puddlemere, Angie thanks for coming I'll see you later when the actual party starts."

"Alright you two be on your best behavior, and have fun." Angelina said.

Oliver walked Viviana over towards his future team; he saw the coach and a few of the other players congregating in a corner next to the bar. He slipped his arm around her gently before making his way towards the edge of their congregation.

"Oliver, it's nice to see you again, and who's the lovely young woman on your arm this evening?" Coach Richards asked.

"This is my girlfriend Viviana, and this is Coach Richards." Oliver said formally.

"It's a real pleasure to meet such a beautiful young woman. What is it you do Viviana?" Coach Richards asked.

"I'll be working in the Auror department this fall; it should be quite the challenge." Viviana said with a small smile.

"So he's the brawn and you're the brains of this operation?" Coach Richards said.

"Actually Oliver is quite brilliant, he got his O.W.L.S. and he did very well on his N.E.W.T.S. his very smart and he has a keen eye for Quidditch, I think you're quite lucky to have him on your team. He's got a really amazing way of finding chinks in the other team's defense and offense." Viviana said proudly.

"Lass I meant no offense, I understand that he's a well rounded player." Coach Richards said with a smile. "I see why you like her, she's a real spit fire."

"That she is Coach that she is." Oliver said. He tightened his arm around Viviana slightly before kissing her cheek.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll do with your team." Coach Richards said. "I think that your addition to our team should vastly improve our standings in the division."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence sir, I hope I live up to your expectations." Oliver said humbly.

"Viviana?" A man asked.

"Alex! I wondered if you were going to be here." Viviana said merrily.

"It's wonderful to see you again; I thought that I was going to run into you this evening. This is my wife Patricia, and you know my daughter Carrie." Alex said. "This must be the younger player that you were telling me about."

"Alex this is Oliver Wood, he's going to be playing for your team." Viviana said proudly. "Oliver this is Alexander Demetrio, the CEO of Puddlemere United."

"A pleasure to meet you sir." Oliver said formally as he shook Alex's hand.

"Carrie how are you?" Viviana asked.

"Viviana, I'm so bored." Carrie said. "I turned 6 yesterday."

"I know you did, did you have a nice birthday?" Viviana asked.

"Yes Daddy and Mummy bought me a pony!" Carrie said excited.

"This is for you, I hope you enjoy it." Viviana said. "I had this passed down to me when I was a little girl."

"Viviana you didn't have to get her anything, she spoiled as it is." Patricia said with a smile.

"She's like my little sister; technically I didn't buy her anything." Viviana said as she handed the little girl a gift.

"Can I open it now?" Carrie asked.

"Sure sweetie." Alex said. "I'm going to talk to Oliver for a few minutes while you three catch up."

"It's beautiful! A real princess tiara!" Carrie said. She showed her mother a goblin made tiara with pink diamonds and rubies. "It matches my dress too, can I wear it now?"

"Let me help you put it on." Patricia said with a smile. "Viviana this must have cost a small fortune, are you sure you want to give it to her?"

"Yes I doubt I'll have any female children of my own, I really don't mind." Viviana said. "Alright Carrie you really do look like royalty."

"Thank you Aunt Viviana." Carrie said as regally as she could.

"So Alex tells me that he's offering Oliver a better contract." Patricia said. "He deserves it, Richards is a good coach, but honestly he nickels and dimes some of our best players."

"I hoped he was going to offer him something better, after all I know how talented Oliver is, and how much he'll help out the team." Viviana said.

"Alex knew that too, we're having a huge celebration this summer will you be able to make it?" Patricia asked.

"Probably not, I'm taking a group of family friends to France this summer before I resume my training. I appreciate the offer though." Viviana said politely.

"That's too bad; we were hoping that you'd be able to make it. I assume that Oliver won't be joining the festivities this summer then?" Patricia asked.

"He can if he wants to, but I have a feeling he'll be spending his time with me this summer when he's not training." Viviana said with a smile.

"I keep watching him stare at you; he's very enamored with your presence." Patricia said. "You're a very lucky woman; I know that he'll be the center of attention in the Quidditch world."

"Because of his talent and natural good looks I know he will. He's an amazing young man." Viviana said. "I'm equally bestowed with him."

"I can tell, you look so much happier than when we met you a few years ago. I know my husband was incredibly put out because you weren't willing to play for the team. I think you found your own calling and that's what really matters." Patricia said with a knowing smile. "When can I expect my wedding announcement?"

"Not too soon, we want to take things a little slower, we don't want to rush into anything." Viviana said.

"Rush into what?" Oliver asked.

"Marriage." Patricia said with a smile. She watched Oliver blush before sliding his arm around Viviana's waist. "Did he give you the offer that you deserve?"

"Yes ma'am, he did. I resigned my contract a few moments ago." Oliver said.

"Good thing too, now you're stuck with us for a few extra years. I wish Viviana would have signed a few years ago, but I think she's happier undoing the evils of our world to join a team that she sees as an extracurricular activity." Alex commented.

"Alex I would have played for your team, but I had a different calling, we've discussed this in great detail." Viviana said teasingly. "I'll play for your team on the off chance that your seeker gets hurt okay?"

"I'll hold you to that." Alex said.

"I know you do." Viviana said with a smile.

Oliver walked her around the ballroom and introduced her to different friends of his family and other various people that he thought it was important to meet. He saw Professor McGonagall speaking with his parents; she was wearing a broad smile as she spoke to them. He looked down at Viviana and slowly kissed her forehead he wanted to show her his family tapestry before dinner started but he could see his mother beckoning them towards a dinner table.

"After dinner, I want to show you something. Be prepared to sneak out of here." Oliver whispered.

"Sure, I'll be ready to run." Viviana said with a light laugh.

As they sat down at the dinner table Viviana recognized most of his old Quidditch team. They were joking around and looking at the slips of paper denoting what to mark down for the meal choices.

"All you have to do is mark down what you would prefer for your soup, salad, appetizer, entrée and dessert." Oliver said with a smile.

"That's pretty neat, usually stuff just appears at the dinner parties at my parents house." Alicia said.

The food began slowly appearing and then disappearing as the night went on. Oliver looked for the perfect opportunity to grab Viviana in his arms and escape. He pulled her against his chest and out one of the doors.

"Come on I'm going to show you something that's really neat." Oliver said. "This room we're headed to represents my families crest, and our heritage."

Oliver opened up a set of doors that led to a beautiful room dressed in rich colors. Above a massive fireplace was a large shield with the Wood family crest, and a pair of swords. One wall was a huge tapestry that depicted his family tree, Viviana traced her fingers over his name and saw that it would eventually grow to accommodate the woman he would marry. She saw different book shelves filled with his history, and Scottish folklore.

"Oliver this is incredible, how did your parents find all of this information?" Viviana asked.

"Well this family home is passed down to the oldest child of each generation. This will be my family's home one day, I'll be proud to live here." Oliver said with a proud grin on his face. "Come sit with me."

"I see your true intentions come out!" Viviana exclaimed as he lifted her into his arms and pulled her down onto his lap.

"I wanted to hold you some more. It feels like we're going to be more apart than together. I'm not looking forward to it." Oliver said solemnly.

"We'll get through it, don't worry so much over it. We'll see each other on the weekends and this fall we'll be living together. We still have to find a house." Viviana said.

"Do we need a house? I thought maybe we could rent a flat or a town home." Oliver said. "I think I found a nice muggle neighborhood that would work well for what we wanted it to."

"Then we'll check it out later this summer okay?" Viviana said. "We should probably head back to the party, someone is bound to miss us."

"How about we make a detour outside and we can walk around the garden." Oliver said suggestively.

"Oliver, it's your party. I'm pretty sure when we walk in with our clothes less than perfect everyone will know what we've been doing." Viviana said with a smile.

"Ruin the moment love, just keep ruining the moment." Oliver said. He slipped his arm under her body and carried her bridal style towards the door. "Just for that I'm carrying you the entire way to the ballroom like this."

"Oliver put me down! You're not going to carry me all the way to the ballroom, it's ridiculous." Viviana said.

"No you're my captive and I plan on holding you in my arms the rest of the night." Oliver said as he set her gently down.

The rest of the evening went perfectly, Oliver kept introducing her to various people and then they danced off and on throughout the night. When most of the guests left Oliver and a few of the Griffindor Quidditch team met up in one of the living rooms and started their own party. They had fire whiskey, butter beer and any other type of alcohol they could find.

"Oliver?" William asked.

"Yes Dad?" Oliver said with a huge grin.

"Make sure you are all being safe, and have a good time." William said. "There's plenty of guestrooms and they're all welcome to stay."

"Thank you for everything, did you hear that I resigned my contract?" Oliver asked excitedly.

"I'm glad that Viviana is well connected, you deserve a great contract for that team." William said.

"So you do approve of her." Oliver said with a smirk.

"Yes I do, I initially wasn't fond of her but I think she's a good match for you. I hope that you both equally make the other happy, that's what your mother and I hoped for." William said.

"Thank you, I'm glad to hear that." Oliver said.

"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, be safe and have fun." William said before he left his son with his friends.

"Oliver, we're all playing a drinking game come and join us!"Fred called.

"What're we playing?" Oliver asked.

"Ship, captain and crew." George said. "It's a dice game, you have to roll a 5, a 4, and a 4 to get in, after that you want the rest of your dice to be low numbers. Each round we bet a shot and you and you can bet side shots with anyone regarding if they can get on or not. If you manage to tie with someone it's called hooking it, and we roll again to see who gets the lowest score."

"Sounds like you'll be a hooker for sure there." Fred said.

"Quiet you." George said with a grin.

"Sounds fun, but complicated." Oliver said with a smile. "Viv, what're you drinking this evening?"

"Initially I wasn't sure I wanted anything to drink, but I decided to stick with vodka tonics." Viviana said.

Katie rolled the dice after betting a shot, she got three three's, and on her second roll she managed to get on. She ended her turn with a 7. Alicia didn't get on a single time and had to take a shot of whiskey and Fred also missed out and had to take a shot. George took a side bet with Angelina and ended up losing he had to slam two shots before he got on. He ended with a 5, and Angelina hooked his low score. Oliver rolled next and managed to get on in the first roll, and he ended with a 3. Viviana rolled and got on and ended with a 5. Oliver won that round and the next few; everyone complained that they needed a new game because he was better than the rest of them at throwing the dice.

They all played a few more rounds before switching to a different game. Viviana had walked over to the bar and started pouring herself a different drink. She felt Oliver's arms around her and she leaned back against him.

"Are you having a good night love?" Oliver asked. His words were slightly slurred and Viviana wasn't entirely surprised he had consumed his fair share of the whiskey.

"I am, everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves as well. I noticed that your dad put some hangover tonic on the counter of the bar, he must know that we'll all end up getting fairly inebriated tonight." Viviana said. "I'm going to head to bed soon, I'm not feeling the greatest."

"Want me to join you?" Oliver asked.

"Stay with your friends, this is one of the only times you'll see them this summer." Viviana said. She kissed his lips slowly and heard Fred issue a cat call from the center of the room. "You'll be in bed with me soon enough."

"But if I don't leave now you won't need help taking off your dress later." Oliver said with a sparkle in his eye.

"True, I'll already be naked." Viviana said with a coy smile.

"I like the sound of that, go to bed I'll see you soon." Oliver said.

Viviana said good night to everyone before she headed towards Oliver's bedroom to sleep. When she got there she slowly undressed and slipped her dress on a hanger. She set everything else on a chair and crawled into bed. She felt her head pounding and it wasn't from the alcohol. She reached over next to the bed and found a calming draught and drank it quickly before laying back down. As soon as she closed her eyes she started to drift away into the world of dreams.

-}-

_Viviana woke up on a blanket, the sun was hidden behind a sea of pale white clouds and the sky was a bright blue. She rolled over and saw her son curled up between Oliver and herself. She reached out and slowly stroked the child's face. She saw Oliver look over at her with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He reached out and stroked Viviana's belly._

"_Soon there will be two of our beautiful children in this world." Oliver said._

"_It seems like a lifetime ago we were just getting married." Viviana said with a smile._

"_It's only been a few years; Will was a bit of a surprise though." Oliver said. "At least he was a welcome one. I wouldnae trade you two for the world."_

"_You would trade us for the world cup though!" Viviana said teasingly. _

"_I have already won that, and I have my lovely wife and handsome son." Oliver said assuredly._

"_Oliver, are you sure we'll be able to handle what's coming for us?" Viviana said pensively._

"_We'll make it love, I know we will." Oliver said. "Are you having those dreams again?" _

"_More often than I'd like, I keep seeing you three stand over my grave. I see those that will die by his hands or orders." Viviana said. _

"_It will be okay, you know what to plan for, and we'll all make it out alive darling. Now think about happy things okay?" Oliver said as he leaned down and kissed her lips._

"_Ew, you guys are so gross, stop it!" Will said._

"_It's not gross, its adult like." Oliver said. "One day you're going to find a cute girl that you'll fall in love with and all you'll want to do is snog her face off."_

"_When pigs fly dad, girls are gross. Except for mum, she's perfect." Will said as he hugged Viviana._

"_What a charmer, I love you Will." Viviana said._

"_I love you too Mum. Dad can we go home so we can practice Quidditch?" Will asked._

"_Let's pack up and go home." Oliver said. He took out his wand and waved it over their picnic. Everything packed up and he slipped the picnic basket into his pocket. He picked up his son and threw him onto his shoulders before slipping his hand into Viviana's. "Ready beautiful?"_

"_As ready as I'll ever be." Viviana said. They walked back to the house and when they got there it was a sight that Viviana wouldn't forget. She could hear Oliver and Will chattering about a game they planned on attending in a few weeks but she got more uneasy as they walked up towards the house. She didn't feel anyone breach the wards, but something bothered her. "Oliver honey, I think I took off my bracelet you gave me when we were napping, could you take Will with you and go look for it? I'll get our brooms and I'll meet you guys at the pitch okay?"_

"_Viv, you weren't wearing a bracelet earlier." Oliver said, he looked at her with a perplexed expression. "Are you feeling alright?"_

"_Come on Daddy we'll run back and beat Mum to the pitch!" Will said excitedly._

"_We can make a race out of it, you two run there and I'll meet you there, no magic." Viviana said, she tried smiling but she knew Oliver would tell that it was an act._

"_Viv, why don't we all get the brooms." Oliver said levelly. _

"_Please look for the bracelet; it was the one that you and Will got me for mothers day last year." Viviana begged. _

"_Alright we'll meet you at the pitch." Oliver said. He mouthed 'are you sure everything is fine?'_

"_Yes, I'll see you soon." Viviana said. She watched as Oliver and Will walked away from the house, she cast a few silent charms on them including an invisibility charm and a very strong protection charm. She warily opened the door to their home and walked inside with her wand drawn._

"_Viviana." A hooded figure said._

"_Who are you?" Viviana asked._

"_An emissary for the dark lord. He wants to know if you thought about his generous offer." _

"_I have, and once again I'm turning him down. I'd like you to leave now." Viviana said._

"_The dark lord won't offer his hand again." _

"_I know. Please leave." Viviana said as she prepared herself for a fight._

"_Nox."_

_Light was sucked from the room and Viviana heard the figure fire off a few spells, she deflected a few of them but felt one of them graze her arm. She felt like she was moving through quicksand. Every time she moved her body slowed down, she tried every counter curse she could think of. Finally she used a basic 'finite incantatum' and she was able to escape. She threw her knife at the attacker and it hit him in the shoulder, she ducked as he fired a killing curse at her, finally his hood flew back and she saw that she faced the dark lord himself._

"_You bastard!" Viviana yelled._

"_I see you recognize me, sadly you're wrong my parents were married." The Dark Lord said._

"_Leave, you're not welcome here." Viviana said calmly._

"_I wish you would have joined me willingly." The Dark Lord said._

"_Sorry I'm not a fairy godmother that grants wishes. Now make like a tree and get the fuck out." Viviana said she took a step forward, her eyes were blazing embodied by the fires of hell._

"_Don't worry I have some friends taking care of your husband and son, they will join you soon enough." The Dark Lord said with a manic gleam in his eyes. "Does he know of our illustrious past?"_

"_If you're referring to your unwanted advances then yes Oliver does know." Viviana said fiercely she knew she had to create enough of a distraction to go towards her son and husband. She looked around the destroyed room for anything that would aid her with the daunting task._

"_If you agree to my proposal I'll even let you choose between the child or your husband." The Dark Lord said with a sneer. "I'd almost approve of your child, he hasn't tainted your delicate flesh."_

"_You were the first one to taint my flesh and I'll be damned if you're able to go through with your plans." Viviana said boldly she silently drew one of her blades before throwing it at his chest. "Accio Broom!"_

_Viviana flew out of her home towards the Quidditch pitch. She could hear Will screaming at the top of his lungs. She saw flashes of different spells being cast between Oliver and the Death Eaters. She landed next behind the Death Eaters and quickly dismounted her broom. She cast a series of complex charms that confused and blinded the antagonists. _

"_Oliver get Will out of here!" Viviana yelled._

"_Mommy! The bad men are here!" Will yelled as Oliver swept him up protectively in his arms._

"_I'll meet you at the safe house. Go I'll hold them off." Viviana said as she continued to whip curse after curse at the Death Eaters. She recognized a couple of them; they were both foreign to Britain she had dealt with them when she had worked with Dimitri. _

"_The kitten returns to us brother, she's become quite the thorn." Viktor said._

"_We're getting very annoyed." Vance replied. "We didn't even get to have fun."_

_Viviana watched as Oliver and Will disappeared with a portkey before she heard a thunderous boom come from the house. She saw the Dark Lord walk with an assured grace towards her. His cloak billowed out behind him, he looked almost regal. She gathered her wits and held onto Dimitri's locket before she appeared in the front lawn of her safe house. She ran inside and saw Will crying in Oliver's arms, she started walking towards them when she heard Oliver gasp._

"_Is he okay? Are you hurt?" Viviana asked._

"_Viv, you're bleeding." Oliver said dejectedly. _

_Viviana looked down and saw that her shirt was soaked in blood. She tried peeling away her shirt and gasped when she saw the wound. Her fingers gently traced the jagged gash, and saw that there was a thin sliver of metal protruding from her stomach. Her mind couldn't process the fact that she was losing as much blood as she saw dripping onto the floor. She fell to her knees before she passed out she looked into Oliver's horror struck eyes. The last thing she heard was the scream of Will calling for her to wake up._

**_Sorry for the cliffhanger. I have plans for the conclusion to this first installment of this story. Please Review it would mean a lot to me, anything constructive would help me out thank you for reading!_**


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